At its core, a vegan lifestyle seeks to avoid the exploitation and harm of animals. This means avoiding the consumption of animal-based meat, dairy, eggs, and other animal-derived products such as honey. For many people, choosing to be vegan goes beyond dietary choices and extends to compassionate lifestyle considerations as well. This includes things like:

• Clothing and Accessories: leather-free shoes, belts, bags, wallets, etc.
• Bath, Body, and Beauty Products: cruelty-free makeup, skincare, deodorant, shampoo, lip balm, soap, etc.
• Home and Cleaning Products: cleaning sprays, toilet cleaners, etc.
• Art Supplies and Crafts: crayons, markers, play dough, etc.

But why do people choose to become vegan? While some people choose to be vegan for ethical reasons, others may be drawn to it for its environmental and health benefits, or for social justice reasons.

By choosing a plant-based diet, you have the power to change the world, one bite at a time. You can transform your health, the planet, and the lives of animals.

Ethical Considerations of Going Vegan

For many people, consuming animal products comes into conflict with their values and beliefs about animal welfare. Animal agriculture is often characterized by inhumane and cruel practices, including confinement, overcrowding, and the use of hormones and antibiotics. By choosing a plant-based diet, you’re actively supporting a more compassionate and humane food system that respects the inherent value of all animals.

The vegan lifestyle also aligns with principles of justice and equality. Many people find it difficult to reconcile the idea of animal welfare with the fact that billions of animals are raised and slaughtered every year for human consumption. This system disproportionately impacts marginalized communities, including low-income individuals and people of color. By embracing a vegan lifestyle, you’re supporting a more just and equitable food system that respects the rights of both humans and animals.

In addition, going vegan is rooted in the idea of non-violence. Many people believe that violence against animals is ethically wrong and that humans have a moral responsibility to protect the vulnerable and defenseless. Choosing a plant-based diet reflects a commitment to non-violence and compassion, promoting a world where all beings are treated with respect and dignity.

Ultimately, choosing vegan is about taking responsibility for one’s actions and the impact they have on the world. When you go vegan, you’re taking a stand for what you believe in and supporting a more ethical, sustainable, and compassionate food system.

With the growing awareness of animal welfare issues and the environmental impact of animal agriculture, more and more people are choosing to go vegan as a way to live in harmony with their values and create a better future for all.

Environmental Impact

In addition to ethical considerations, the environmental impact of animal agriculture is a major reason to go vegan. Animal agriculture is a resource-intensive industry that requires large amounts of land, water, and energy. According to the Worldwatch Institute, it takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef, compared to just 25 gallons to produce a pound of wheat.

Additionally, animal agriculture is a major contributor to water pollution, as animal waste and chemicals from feed and fertilizer can enter waterways and contaminate drinking water. The Environmental Protection Agency has identified animal agriculture as a major source of water pollution in the United States.

By choosing a plant-based diet, individuals can reduce their water and land use, as well as their carbon footprint. According to a study by the University of Oxford, a vegan diet can reduce an individual’s carbon footprint by up to 73% compared to a meat-based diet.

Health Benefits of Going Vegan

Along with ethical and environmental considerations, a vegan diet can also offer a range of health benefits. Plant-based diets are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and cancer.

Studies have shown that vegans tend to have lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure than non-vegans, which can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Doctors like Dr. Esselstyn have demonstrated the effectiveness of plant-based diets in reversing heart disease and improving overall health outcomes. Additionally, plant-based diets have been shown to be effective in managing and even reversing type 2 diabetes, as they are low in saturated fat and high in fiber and complex carbohydrates.

A vegan diet can also help with weight management, as plant-based foods tend to be lower in calories and higher in fiber than animal products. According to a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, individuals following a vegan diet lost an average of 4.3 kg over 18 weeks, compared to an average of 3.2 kg for those following a control diet.

There are many doctors and health experts who advocate for a plant-based diet as a way to improve health outcomes and reduce the risk of chronic disease. One of the most well-known is Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, a cardiologist who has been at the forefront of research into the relationship between diet and heart health. Dr. Esselstyn has demonstrated that a whole-food, plant-based diet can not only prevent heart disease, but can even reverse it in some cases.

Other doctors and health experts who promote a plant-based diet include Dr. Michael Greger, author of the book “How Not to Die,” and Dr. Dean Ornish, a physician and researcher who has conducted extensive studies on the health benefits of plant-based diets.

Social Justice Issues

Finally, some individuals choose to go vegan for social justice reasons.

The production and consumption of animal products can have significant social justice implications. In many countries, animal agriculture is associated with exploitative labor practices, including low wages, long working hours, and unsafe working conditions. In some cases, workers may also be subjected to physical and emotional abuse.

Furthermore, animal agriculture is often associated with land grabs and displacement of indigenous communities. The expansion of animal agriculture can lead to the destruction of local ecosystems and the displacement of communities that rely on those ecosystems for their livelihoods.

By choosing a vegan diet, individuals can support social justice initiatives that prioritize fair labor practices and land use, as well as support local and sustainable food systems.

Here Are 15 Specific Reasons to Choose Vegan

1. Reduce your carbon footprint

Animal agriculture is a leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for more emissions than the entire transportation sector. By going vegan, you can reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to a healthier planet.

2. Save water

Producing animal products requires significantly more water than producing plant-based foods. For example, it takes approximately 660 gallons of water to produce a single hamburger, compared to just 200 gallons for a soy burger.

3. Lower your risk of chronic diseases

Research shows that a plant-based diet can lower your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. This is because plant-based foods are typically lower in saturated fat and higher in fiber and other nutrients.

4. Prevent animal cruelty

By choosing a vegan lifestyle, you’re actively taking a stand against animal cruelty. Animal agriculture involves the exploitation and mistreatment of billions of animals every year, and by abstaining from animal products, you’re refusing to support this industry.

5. Support food justice

Factory farming is often associated with exploitative labor practices, low wages, and unsafe working conditions. By supporting plant-based foods, you’re helping to promote food justice and support ethical and sustainable farming practices.

6. Help conserve biodiversity

Animal agriculture is a leading cause of deforestation, habitat loss, and biodiversity loss. By choosing plant-based foods, you’re supporting a more sustainable and ethical food system that helps conserve the earth’s precious natural resources.

7. Reduce food waste

Approximately one-third of all food produced in the world is wasted, and animal products are among the most frequently wasted foods. By choosing plant-based foods, you’re reducing food waste and helping to ensure that resources are used more efficiently.

8. Improve your digestion

A plant-based diet is often higher in fiber, which can help improve your digestion and prevent constipation. Additionally, many plant-based foods contain beneficial probiotics and enzymes that can promote a healthy gut microbiome.

9. Lower your grocery bill

Plant-based foods can be significantly cheaper than animal products, especially when you purchase in-season and locally-grown produce. This means that by going vegan, you may be able to save money on your grocery bill. One great resource for figuring out what to shop for when going vegan is our Vegan Grocery List guide, which provides a comprehensive list of vegan-friendly items to help you plan your shopping trips.

10. Support global food security

With a growing population and limited resources, food security is becoming an increasingly important issue. By choosing plant-based foods, you’re helping to support a more sustainable and equitable food system that can better address global food security challenges.

11. Combat antibiotic resistance

The overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture is a major contributor to antibiotic resistance, a serious public health threat. By reducing your consumption of animal products, you’re helping to combat antibiotic resistance and promote more responsible antibiotic use.

12. Reduce water pollution

Animal waste from factory farms can contaminate waterways and contribute to water pollution, posing a threat to both human and animal health. By choosing plant-based foods, you’re helping to reduce water pollution and promote a more sustainable and clean environment.

13. Save animals from extinction

The production of animal products often leads to habitat destruction and the loss of biodiversity, which can put many animal species at risk of extinction. By choosing plant-based foods, you’re helping to support a more sustainable and ethical food system that helps conserve wildlife and protect endangered species.

14. Promote healthy aging

Studies show that a plant-based diet can promote healthy aging and improve cognitive function. This is because plant-based foods are often rich in antioxidants and other nutrients that can help protect against age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.

15. Support ethical farming practices

By going vegan, you’re supporting ethical farming practices that prioritize animal welfare and the environment. This includes supporting small, independent farmers who prioritize sustainable and humane farming methods over industrial-scale animal agriculture.

Making the Transition to Veganism

If you’re interested in going vegan, there are plenty of resources available to help make the transition easier. One of the best ways to get started is by incorporating more plant-based foods into your diet. This can include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

There are also many plant-based alternatives to traditional animal products, such as tofu, tempeh, seitan, and plant-based milks, cheeses, and meats. These alternatives can make it easier to enjoy your favorite foods without relying on animal products.

It’s important to note that going vegan doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. Many people find it helpful to start by reducing their consumption of animal products, and gradually transitioning to a fully plant-based diet over time. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, so it’s important to find a method that works best for you.

Tips for Going Vegan

If you are considering going vegan, be sure to visit our How to Go Vegan Guide. To get you started, here are just a few quick tips and strategies that can help make the transition smoother and more successful.

Educate Yourself

Before making the transition to a vegan lifestyle, it is important to educate yourself about the ethical, environmental, and health implications of animal agriculture and the benefits of a vegan diet. This can help strengthen your commitment to vegan living and provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to make informed decisions about your food choices.

A great way to start is by:

• watching these fantastic vegan documentaries
• reading these plant-based diet books
• listening to podcasts like the Plant-Powered People Podcast
• getting some vegan cookbooks

Plan your Meals

One of the keys to success on a vegan diet is planning ahead. Take the time to plan out your meals and snacks for the week, making sure to include a variety of nutrient-dense plant-based foods. This can help ensure that you are meeting your nutritional needs and avoid feeling deprived or hungry.

If you’re meal planning on a budget, our Plant-Based on a Budget Meal Plans can help you save money while eating delicious healthful vegan meals.

Find Vegan Versions of Your Favorite Foods

There are many vegan substitutes available for traditional animal-based products, including plant-based milks, cheeses, and meats.

Discover your favorite vegan yogurt, dairy-free ice cream, butter, coffee creamer, burgers, hot dogs, and other essentials. Experiment with different brands and products to find those that you enjoy and incorporate them into your meals.

Focus on Whole Foods

While vegan substitutes can be helpful, it is important to focus on whole, nutrient-dense plant-based foods as the foundation of your diet. This includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Connect with Others

Going vegan can feel isolating at times, especially if your friends and family are not supportive of your decision. Connecting with other vegans through online communities, vegan festivals and events, animal sanctuaries, plant-based restaurants near you, or local meetups can provide a sense of community and support.

The Time Is Now

There are many reasons to consider going vegan, from ethical and environmental considerations to health and social justice benefits. By adopting a plant-based lifestyle, individuals can reduce their impact on the environment, improve their health, and support fair labor practices and local food systems.

If you’re considering going vegan, take the time to do your research, and don’t be afraid to reach out to others who have made the transition. By working together, we can create a more sustainable, equitable, and compassionate world for all.

The post Why Vegan? Exploring the Many Benefits of a Plant-Based Lifestyle appeared first on World of Vegan.

Eggs have long been one of the most difficult staples to replace on the vegan diet, given their unique nutritional composition and foundational contributions to baking and cooking recipes. It might seem like a struggle to find an equivalent alternative to eggs for such a wide range of applications, but that’s not the case!

From basic ingredients you probably already have on hand to amazingly advanced prepared mixes, there’s a bold world of plant-based eggs to enjoy with a clear conscience. It is an adjustment if you’ve been relying on eggs to make your cakes and muffins fluffy all your life. Or if you’re a big fan of your morning omelet. But friends, with some simple swaps you’ll be egg-free in no time.

Worry no more and take notes because we have all the details on how to rock your recipes with these foolproof egg replacers.

Best Vegan Egg Substitutes for Baking

Baking is as much an art as it is a science. This makes it particularly tricky to determine what might make the best swap for a simple egg.

Most recipes intend bakers will use “large” eggs, which contain 4 tablespoons or 1⁄4 cup of liquid volume on average. The whites alone are typically 3 tablespoons, while the yolk is 1 tablespoon. Knowing this, we can break it down and better estimate what will work for different sorts of treats.

Ground Flaxseeds (Flax Egg)

My personal favorite for baking, ground flaxseeds work the same way by creating a gel with water, ideal for binding, thickening, and emulsifying in both sweet and savory baked goods. There will be subtle flecks of the ground seeds visible, and it can contribute an earthy flavor if used in quantity, so you might want a mixture of ground seeds and another egg replacer if swapping out more than 2 – 3 eggs.

Soak 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds in 2.5 – 3 tablespoons of water for about 5 minutes. Stir well and use once thickened.

• Flax Egg Ratio: 1 Tbsp of ground flaxseeds + 2.5 – 3 Tbsp of water = 1 Egg

Applesauce

Quick and easy, smooth, unsweetened, and unflavored applesauce can work well in quick breads, cakes, and muffins. Replace every egg with 1⁄4 cup of applesauce and consider adding an extra 1⁄4 teaspoon of baking powder for a better rise.

• Apple Sauce Egg Ratio: 1/4 Cup Apple Sauce per Egg

Mashed Banana

Banana puree is the ultimate easy egg replacer. Peel, mash and go! It’s healthy, you probably already have a banana on hand, and it works like a charm. But only replace 2 – 3 eggs at most this way! 

• Banana Egg Alternative: 1/4 cup of mashed banana (about 1/2 of a banana) = 1 egg (plus add 1/4 tsp of additional baking powder)

Pureed Pumpkin

Pureed pumpkin acts very similarly to mashed banana, but with a different flavor profile! It has a distinctive flavor and color, though, so only opt for this if you don’t mind incorporating those aspects into your treats. Replace only 2 – 3 eggs this way at most. 

• Pumpkin Puree Egg: 1/4 cup pureed pumpkin = 1 egg (plus add 1/4 tsp of additional baking powder)

Peanut Butter (or any nut butter)

Another amazing use for the queen of nut butters! Peanut butter (or your favorite nut butter) adds elasticity to your recipes and obviously, an amazing flavor. It’s possible to use any nut butter if you are allergic to peanuts or do not like the flavor.

• Peanut Butter Egg Ratio: 3 Tbsps of smooth peanut butter = 1 egg.

Tip: Making your own peanut butter is so easy—and it can be zero waste! Just get some roasted unsalted peanuts in bulk and process them in your food processor for as long as it takes to get creamy. Don’t forget to scrap the sides in between!

Aquafaba (egg white alternative)

The latest and greatest innovation the world of vegan baking has ever seen, aquafaba sounds like a crazy dream, but is an easily obtainable reality. It’s the brine in the can of chickpeas that most people would otherwise toss down the drain.

Full of protein, aquafaba is the only plant-powered substance that can be used to make aquafaba whipped cream and replace egg whites. Whipped with a stand mixer, it becomes impossibly light and fluffy perfect for making macarons, meringues, marshmallows, and more.

• Aquafaba Egg Whites: 3 Tbsps of aquafaba = 1 egg white

Mashed Avocado (egg yolk substitute)

Fully of healthy fats, creamy avocado is best for taking the place of rich egg yolks, particularly in cookies, mayonnaise, or aioli. The subtly green hue might change the look of your recipe, but it’s trendy to be green these days! Use 1 tablespoon of very well mashed or pureed avocado per yolk.

• Avocado Egg Yolk: 1 Tbsp avocado =1 egg yolk

Soft Tofu or Silken Tofu

Tofu does it all, right? And yes, you can even use it in place of eggs in baking. just puree 1/4 cup of soft or silken tofu and add it to your baking recipes following this ratio to replace eggs: 

• Tofu Egg Replacer: 1/4 cup of pureed soft tofu = 1 egg

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are a great way to skip the egg when baking. When soaked in water they become gelatinous and runny and it works like a charm. It’s important to note that you have to mix the water and seeds before and let them soak for a few minutes. Do not add them separately to your preparation! They also add a good amount of healthy fats and Omega 3s to your final product. Win-win!

• Chia Egg Ratio: 1 Tbsp chia seeds + 3 Tbsp of water = 1 Egg

Store-Bought Vegan Eggs and Egg Replacers

For a fool-proof quick fix, it’s convenient to have powdered egg replacements and liquid egg substitutes on hand. These easy solutions take all the guess work out of the equation. Also check out this Best Vegan Egg Guide for even more recipes and suggestions!

JUST Egg: The first liquid plant-based egg to high mainstream markets, JUSTegg measures 1:1 for conventional eggs, making it the most straightforward option for those first looking to transition. It works seamlessly in cooking and baking, sweet or savory. Watch the JUSTegg scramble here!

Follow Your Heart Vegan Egg: Brought to you by the makers of Vegenaise, the cardboard packaging might fool you into thinking it contains conventional eggs. Surprise: It’s just plant- based powder that can be rehydrated to make scrambled eggs or help you bake better vegan treats. As an added bonus, it’s based on soymilk powder so it contains a good serving of protein.

Bob’s Red Mill Vegan Egg Replacer (Gluten-Free): Made from a combination of starches, psyllium husk, and baking soda, this dry powder was designed with vegan baked goods in mind. It has no discernible flavor and is best when extra binding power is needed.

Ener G Egg Replacer: One of the OG brands of plant-based egg alternatives, it’s become more difficult to find this mix in standard supermarkets over the years but is still going strong through retailers online. A little bit goes a long way; one 16-ounce package equals approximately 100 eggs. Ener-G is the most common commercial powdered egg replacer, but these days you can find egg replacer powders from many other companies as well, such as Bob’s Red Mill.

Vegg Power Scramble and Vegan Egg Yolk: Specifically formulated to make the best breakfast scramble you’ve ever served, or replace rich yolks to make custards, hollandaise, and much more, these two separate blends place an emphasis on replicating that luxurious texture and flavor. You can also buy special French Toast Mix and Uncaged Baking Mix for another helping hand in the kitchen.

Simply Eggless Vegan Egg: This liquid vegan egg can be scrambled up just as you would make scrambled egg. It functions similarly to JUSTegg. 

Nabati Plant Eggz: This is another liquid egg alternative that can be used for scrambles and beyond. It’s made from a based of lupin protein (legumes) and pea protein. 

Vegan Egg Substitutes for Cooking

Okay, so now you know how to replace eggs in your baking. But what about your morning scramble? You’ve got plenty of options for that as well. If you’re craving a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, or perhaps a fancy French omelet, you don’t need to go hungry! It’s easy to whip up a savory, plant-based substitute at home.

Tofu Scramble (Vegan Scrambled Eggs)

My favorite scrambled egg substitute is tofu. Every vegan needs a solid tofu scramble recipe in their arsenal. It’s the quickest and tastiest way to get healthy protein in the morning while using up any vegetables you might have in the fridge.

Crumble firm, extra-firm, or super-firm tofu into a skillet, depending on how dry you like your eggs. Sautee with a touch of nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and the secret ingredient: kala namak. Also known as “black salt,” it’s actually pink in color but has the unmistakable sulfurous flavor typically associated with eggs. You’ll also want to add a dash of the extremely healthy spice turmeric to turn your tofu scramble yellow just like eggs. Fold in leafy greens like spinach or kale along with tender veggies such as tomatoes, peppers, or anything you like. A filling savory vegan breakfast is served!

Vegan Eggs

Several of the brands listed above offer vegan eggs that you can scramble in a pan and can look and taste just like chicken eggs—but made from plants!

Chickpeas or chickpea flour (soy-free)

Anything tofu can do, chickpeas can do, too! For a soy-free option, everybody’s favorite bean works beautifully when mashed and pan-fried with the same sort of eggy seasonings.

If you want a folded omelet, start with chickpea flour whisked with water, much like pancake batter. Imagine making a thick crepe, and you’re halfway there! Once the edges are set, give it a flip, and cook all the way through. Fill with your favorite cooked vegetables or vegan cheese, and don’t forget the fresh herbs for the perfect finishing touch.

Store-Bought Vegan Egg Patties for Breakfast Sandwiches

What about egg patties to use on bagels or in vegan breakfast sandwiches? There are plant-based options for that as well! And you can sometimes find vegan breakfast sandwiches on restaurant menus as well. 

• JUST Egg Patties, Folded Eggs, & Sous Vide Egg Bites
• Simply Eggless Plant-Based Egg Patties
• Peet’s Coffee now offers freshly made hot vegan sausage and egg sandwiches at all their locations! It’s called their “Everything Plant-Based Sandwich” and it’s 100% vegan. 
• Alpha breakfast sandwich with meatless sausage, plant-based egg, and vegan cheese. You can find this in the freezer aisle of select grocery stores. 

Vegan Eggy Recipes

• Classic Tofu Scramble
• Vegan Quiche Recipe
• Deviled Potatoes (Vegan Deviled Eggs) — perfect for Easter brunch!
• Island Teriyaki Tofu Scramble

Homemade Vegan Egg Alternative

If you like the idea of a go-to vegan egg but still prefer a DIY approach, you can make your own egg replacer powder and liquid from scratch.

• Egg Replacer Powder: Meant to imitate the results of Ener G Egg Replacer without the expense, this homemade version makes eggless baking a snap.
• Homemade Egg Replacing Powder: If you do a LOT of baking, this is the recipe for you. It makes 5 cups of egg replacer, which is enough to cover up to 160 eggs according to the rehydration instructions!
• Eggless Liquid Scramble: Red lentils are the foundation that make this breakfast staple even healthier, and arguably tastier, than the traditional eggless approach.

Handy Measuring Conversions for Baking

• Ounces in a Gallon
• Grams in a Pound
• Tablespoons in a Cup
• Cups in a Liter
• Ounces in a Pint

Please, Skip The Chicken Eggs!

You’re lucky enough to live in a time when you’ve got a growing selection of veganized egg scramble products to choose from. Remember! Skipping eggs is easy, kind and way healthier. Cheers to that!

The post Best Vegan Egg Substitutes — Baking Egg Replacers, Scrambles & Beyond appeared first on World of Vegan.

How to Celebrate A Vegan Easter

If you’re wondering, it’s easy to celebrate a vegan Easter without any ethical compromises or personal sacrifice. Plus, this holiday is a great opportunity to teach your kids about the importance of living with kindness and consideration in all aspects of life. I’m happy to share some cruelty-free options for your plant-based Easter celebrations this year.

Vegan Chocolate Bunnies 

It makes me so happy to see that several online chocolate shops now offer a selection of vegan Easter-themed goodies—including vegan Easter bunnies. Chocolate bunnies are iconic for Easter, as well as shiny, foil-wrapped chocolate eggs. Just be sure to double check that items are vegan, as some companies that make vegan chocolates also offer products that aren’t vegan.

• No Whey Chocolate (100% vegan)
• Moo Free (100% Vegan)
• Vegan Treats (100% Vegan)
• Amanda’s Own
• Divvies
• Lake Champlain

Etsy is also home to many craftspeople who sell homemade vegan chocolate bunnies. Plus, you’ll be supporting a small business! 

Vegan Cream-Filled Chocolate Eggs

If you’re a lover of the ooey-gooey, cream-filled Cadbury eggs, you’re in luck. Several companies have started to replicate this using all vegan ingredients. No Whey Chocolate and Moo Free make vegan Cadbury eggs and they are awesome. You can also find foil-wrapped vegan chocolate eggs (as well as bags, boxes, and vegan chocolate bunnies) at Amanda’s Own.

Making your own vegan cream-filled chocolate eggs might be fun, too! Here are a few recipes that are super close to the original. If you don’t mind taking the time, they’re worth it. Each cream egg recipe is slightly different in texture, flavor, and shape, so choose whichever looks best to you.

• Vegan Chocolate Creme Eggs by It Doesn’t Take Like Chicken 
• DIY Vegan Chocolate Eggs With Raspberry Cream by Vancouver with Love
• Vegan Cream Eggs by A Virtual Vegan
• Cadbury Vegan Creme Eggs by Hell Yeah, It’s Vegan!

Vegan Easter Baskets

Suggestions for a beautifully filled vegan Easter basket

Easter Basket Sweets:

• Vegan chocolate bunny
• Vegan cream eggs
• Other vegan chocolates
• Vegan candies or lollipops

Small Toys and Candy-Free Easter Basket Gifts:

• Stuffed animal
• Stickers
• Small children’s book
• Dino egg bath bombs
• Coloring pages
• Sketchpad
• Art supplies
• Bunny pasta
• Small puzzle
• Small lego set
• Shiny coins or money 

Peep! While you’re carefully considering what to add to your vegan Easter baskets, please remember not to purchase Peeps. Although they are sweet, soft, and squishy, Peeps are made with animal skin and bones (gelatin). Yuck! Instead, try out this super cute vegan marshmallow peeps recipe from LiveKindly.

Sustainable Easter basket Swaps:

• Instead of using plastic eggs that open, choose colorful little canvas drawstring bags for storing small gift items.
• Wrap your basket with a patterned print fabric and cloth ribbon. The clear plastic gift bag and ribbon that are traditionally used creates a good deal of waste at the end of the day.
• Have a hide-and-seek game with chalk eggs! After all of the eggs are found, each child can receive a little chalkboard to draw on or have a section of the driveway to create original pieces of artwork. So much fun!

More Eco-Friendly Options

We all want to be more Earth-friendly, so I wanted to list some awesome alternatives that will save you money and also save you from using so much plastic waste. As always, only do what you can, you don’t have to be perfect. Even a small swap will make a big difference in the long run. 

• Don’t Buy New Baskets – Reuse baskets you already have at home or go to the thrift store to find baskets in good condition. I’ve bought at least five baskets this way and they only cost $1 each! Choose natural materials over colorful plastic so that you can use the baskets all year long for different holidays and seasons.
• Say No to Decorative Straw – This is a hard one. I know that the translucent green (or pink!) filler is incredibly appealing, but it’s horrible for the planet. I have two suggestions, though. If you really must have this straw, buy it once and save it from year to year. Because it’s plastic, it can be rinsed or washed if necessary, but you can just throw it in a storage bag to use the next year. A better option (if you haven’t already bought any filler) is to find paper green “grass”. You can even get recycled paper grass at Five Below stores, which can be saved, composted or recycled when you’re done. 
• Earth-Friendly Fun – Pass on the plastic when purchasing vegan Easter toys and gifts for your baskets. Buying a ton of cheap plastic trinkets will only add up to more unwanted junk in your house, and will also leave more refuse for the landfill. Choose wooden puzzles and toys, books, coloring pages, crayons (these are even egg shaped!), art supplies, construction paper, and maybe some vegan yarn and wooden knitting needles.

Vegan Easter Eggs (For Painting)

Before you reach for that carton of eggs, consider this. Every conventional egg subjects a hen to 24 hours in a battery cage (or similarly miserable conditions). The poor hens! Instead of painting chicken eggs, look for more creative and caring alternatives.

• Wooden Easter Eggs: Buy a set of lovely wooden eggs and adorn with acrylic paints, stickers, or cover with your favorite fabric. Visit our vegan art supplies guide for inspiration. There are endless, creative ways to make this activity fun for children.
• Paper Egg Cutouts: Cut egg shapes out of pretty patterned card stock and accent with fun, sparkly stickers. Or, use pastel construction paper and color them with markers. You can hang them on the fridge and save them for years to come. Add a small picture of your family to the front and you also have a fun family heirloom, too!
• Avocados: Paint an avocado! Or cover it in a piece of fancy foil and boom—the ultimate vegan Easter egg. Just make sure that it’s not overripe!
• Cookies: Bake a batch of egg-shaped vegan sugar cookies and decorate them with vegan royal icing or frosting made with vegan butter! Check out this Vegan Food Coloring guide for more rainbow-color inspiration.

Vegan Easter Brunch Menu Ideas

Easter brunch is one of the highlights of my Italian Grandma’s family celebration. She can spend weeks deciding what to make, which cookies to bake, and which candies to buy. Though meals will differ from family to family, here’s a list of my favorite vegan recipes that can easily be substituted for traditional Easter meals. They’re delicious! What are your family favorites for Easter?

Plant-Based Easter Appetizers

• Huge, crispy salad
• Savory hummus board 
• Fresh sweet tart fruit salad
• Crispy home fries
• Creamy deviled potatoes 

Vegan Easter Main Meal

• Veggie Meatloaf, Mushroom Wellington, or any of these phenomenal vegetarian roast recipes. 
• Fluffy Vegan Frittata or savory Vegan Quiche
• Easy Vegan Sheet Pan Pancakes
• Lovely Lemon Asparagus With Shallots
• Creamy Asparagus and Mushroom Soup
• Glazed Vegan Ham With Amber Ale Glaze
• Pasta Salad (made with bunny-shaped pasta)
• Steaming Dinner Rolls

Delicious Vegan Easter Desserts

• Decadent Vegan Carrot Cake
• Lucious Lemon Olive Oil Cake
• Creamy Vegan Lemon Custard
• Dreamy Vegan Snickers
• Rich, chocolatey Florentine Cookies
• Protein-packed Lemon Pistachio Quinoa Cookies
• Fluffy Vegan Crumb Muffins
• Chewy Vegan Scotcharoo Bars
• Adorable Vegan Easter Chickpeep Cupcakes With Buttercream Frosting

Easter Drinks

• Sweet-tart Strawberry Mint Lemonade
• Sparkling Strawberry Peach Spritzer
• Refreshing Orange Juice Smoothie
• Zesty Lemon Smoothie

Searching for egg substitutes or more plant-based egg recipes? Our Vegan Egg Guide is the perfect place to start!

Easter PSA: Please Don’t Buy Live Rabbits

If you’ve made a thoughtful and long-term decision to welcome an adorable bunny into your home, that’s wonderful! But please be sure to adopt and keep in mind that some bunnies are high maintenance, especially Angora bunnies. They can also be pretty destructive and love chewing on electrical cords and furniture. Sadly, most rabbits given as Easter gifts wind up neglected and unwanted when the novelty wears off. 

Different breeds of bunnies also have numerous health issues. It’s a good idea to do some research ahead of time to be certain that you have the time and energy to commit to this sweet, sensitive animal. If you feel that you’re 100% committed, you can find many resources for adopting at the House Rabbit Society.

Rabbits can live up to 12 years, and the estimated cost of caring for a rabbit over that time is between $3,000 and $4,000 dollars. If that doesn’t fit in your budget, then visit an animal sanctuary or head to your local animal shelter to volunteer and play with bunnies instead. Volunteering is far more rewarding with no expense or obligation. 

I hope this guide will help you celebrate a compassionate and caring vegan Easter for years to come! 

Photos by Michelle Cehn. Content copyright World of Vegan, all rights reserved.  

The post Vegan Easter Guide {Chocolate Bunnies, Easter Eggs, & Brunch Ideas!} appeared first on World of Vegan.

Just be forewarned, your guests are likely to chase you down for the recipe! You might even want to print out some copies of this vegan deviled eggs recipe in advance so your friends and family can take it home with them. Spare the chickens and spread the love! 

Do These Deviled Potatoes Actually Taste Like Deviled Eggs?

From the photos, you can see that these sweet little deviled potatoes look just like deviled eggs. But how do they taste? And how does this brilliant recipe sorcery actually work?

The potatoes get their creaminess from the vegan mayo, the tanginess from Dijon mustard, and the consistency from the beans and potato. The Dutch potato makes a perfect “shell.” For Easter, you could use the red or purple varieties as part of the mix for a colorful plant-based alternative to deviled eggs.

Key Ingredients And Substitutions

The vegan deviled eggs don’t require too many ingredients and are quite simple to make. Here are the main ingredients you don’t want to leave out plus some quick substitutions:

• Egg-sized potatoes: Baby Dutch or Gold potatoes work great but you can also use red or purple varieties for more color! Try to select potatoes of similar size so that they all cook evenly together.
• Cannellini beans: Beans add some fiber and protein to the dish but go virtually undetected in this recipe! Any mild-flavored white bean will work if you don’t have Cannellini on hand.
• Lemon juice: Adds a touch of acidity that helps the other flavors pop while also keeping everything fresher for longer.
• Dijon mustard: A key ingredient that should not be left out of any “deviled” dish! You can use spicy brown mustard if you want a stronger kick to it or use yellow mustard for a more mellow flavor.
• Turmeric powder: Provides a beautiful golden yellow color to the “egg” mixture.
• Vegan mayo: Adds the perfect amount of creaminess to these deviled potatoes. Check out the best vegan mayo brands.

How To Serve These Vegan Deviled Eggs

Spring is the season of birth and renewal. Deviled eggs abound this time of year, the universal symbol for Easter. For those of us who prefer to see Mama Chicken nest her eggs, rather than serve them on a platter, this vegan deviled egg recipe has you covered using baby potatoes.

To customize your vegan deviled eggs, try these various garnish ideas:

• Paprika—smoked or sweet
• Chopped chives
• Sliced olives
• Chopped pickles
• Sliced jalapenos
• Shredded vegan cheese

Want to make these vegan “deviled eggs” even more adorable? Grab some black olives and cut out some tiny eyes and a little beak shape to place on the deviled potatoes to make little chick characters. Adorable! You can even make these lemon chickpeep cupcakes to match. 

I hope you enjoy these as much as I enjoyed making and serving them. Happy Spring!

Vegan Easter Recipes & Resources

Easter is a time of celebration and joy, but for vegans, it can be difficult to find ways to celebrate without compromising values. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources available to help vegans celebrate Easter in a way that is both meaningful and respectful. Here are the best guides to get started with:

• Guide to Celebrating a Vegan Easter is the ultimate guide with everything from the best vegan Easter basket options, delicious brunch menu ideas, vegan chocolate bunny brands, plant-based Cadbury cream eggs, and all the information you need to make your Easter celebration vegan-friendly.
• This Vegan Candy Brands & Guide is great for any holiday where you need a vegan candy option!
• Make these adorable Vegan Chickpeep Easter Cupcakes, made with lemon buttercream frosting to look like little chicks!
• Our Vegan Egg Guide is your one-stop shop for egg-free options including scrambles, poached “eggs,”and even hard-boiled “eggs!”

More Amazing Appetizers to Try

• Vegan Soft Pretzels With Cheese Dip just need 10 minutes of active prep time!
• Crispy Vegan Onion Rings are ultra-crispy and served with a Sriracha Mayo.
• Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms With Crimini Walnut Pâté are made with simple whole foods ingredients and the perfect flavorful appetizer to impress guests with!
• Bagels with Dairy-Free Cream Cheese & Vegan Smoked Salmon are incredibly flavorful with the perfect smoky flavor!

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Deviled Potatoes — Deviled Eggs Vegan-Style!

These vegan deviled eggs are made with egg-shaped potatoes! If you’re celebrating a compassionate egg-free easter, these deviled potatoes are a must. They’re the perfect alternative to deviled eggs and are great for setting the mood for a fun house party. Let’s go! Time to make a batch of deviled eggs vegan-style!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Hungarian

Keyword vegan appetizer, vegan deviled eggs, vegan egg

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 30

Calories 32kcal

Author Stephanie Dreyer | VeegMama

Ingredients

• 15 egg-sized potatoes washed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ can cannellini white beans drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 6 tablespoons vegan mayo
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• paprika and chopped chives for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Halve the potatoes and toss with olive oil and ¼ teaspoon of salt until fully coated. Lay slice-side-up on a lined baking sheet and roast for 1 hour, or until soft.
• Cool for 5 minutes. Using a small melon baller, scoop out a small half-sphere out of the potato, being careful not to scoop through to the skin.
• Blend the scooped potato and the remaining ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
• Using a piping bag with a tip, pipe yellow mixture into each potato hole to fill.
• Garnish with paprika and a generous sprinkle of chives.

Nutrition

Serving: 6g | Calories: 32kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.3mg

“I recently had the pleasure of serving these beauties at one of my favorite cookware stores, Willams Sonoma. I did an in-store demo, showing the patrons how easy it is to make this delicious and beautiful appetizer. I loved watching people’s surprised faces as they bit into them and learned that they were eggless! Many couldn’t believe there wasn’t a trace of egg inside. They were a big hit in the store, and I was thrilled to introduce several people to some of my favorite vegan products, such as Follow Your Heart’s Vegenaise.”

– Stephanie Dreyer

This recipe for deviled eggs made vegan was created by Stephanie Dreyer for World of Vegan, and also featured in The Friendly Vegan Cookbook! Content and photographs copyright of World of Vegan, all rights reserved.

The post Vegan Deviled Eggs {Deviled Potatoes} appeared first on World of Vegan.

From breakfast scrambles and lunchtime salads, baking binders and fluffy frostings, there’s an eggless option for every need.

Are Eggs Vegan?

No, eggs are not vegan. There are many reasons why vegans choose not to eat eggs, which we don’t go into here. And here are a few reasons why we should all should care about chickens and leave eggs off your plates.

Some may not consider eggs vegetarian either, because they could potentially have grown into animals themselves if properly nurtured. This includes and is not limited to:

• Chicken eggs
• Duck eggs
• Quail eggs
• Ostrich eggs
• Fish eggs (tobiko, masago, ikura, and caviar)

What about cage-free, free-range, or pasture-raised eggs? Do vegans eat eggs of any kind?

Regardless of how or why the eggs are produced, they are by nature an animal product, first and foremost. Individuals can make their own choices about what they’re personally ethically and morally comfortable with, but eggs are by definition not vegan.

What Are Vegan Eggs Made Of?

The category of vegan eggs can’t be defined by a single ingredient, as each formula is slightly different. Beans and legumes are the most common bases, which can include one or more of the following:

• Soybeans (tofu)
• Chickpeas (whole, aquafaba, or flour)
• Mung beans
• Red lentils
• Pea protein
• Lupini beans (or lupin flour)

Innovative companies continue to experiment with new technology to make a better animal-free egg, including culturing, fermenting, and otherwise crafting novel proteins that are DNA-identical to the originals, but without any chickens involved.

Guide To Vegan Egg Brands

While just 10 years ago, you’d be hard pressed to find any ready made egg substitute worth eating on its own, you can easily toss at least two or three into your basket the next time you hit the grocery store. Best of all, there are even more options on the way. Here are the best vegan egg alternatives available now.

JUST Egg

Vegan eggs have never been the same since JUST hit the scene—in a very good way. Pioneering the liquid egg space with their mung bean-based scramble, they’ve since expanded to heat-and-eat folded egg patties, sous vide egg bites, and soon, frozen scrambled egg meals, complete with veggies and seasonings. Identical in taste and texture to the original inspiration, this is the brand you’re most likely to find in mainstream supermarkets, cafes, and restaurants across the US.

Yo! Eggs

Billed as the world’s first plant-based poached egg, you can slice into these soft pillows to reveal a genuinely runny yolk, perfect for topping benedicts or toasts galore. These vegan poached eggs are not yet available for purchase in stores, but you can find them in some restaurants around the world.

Hodo All-Day Egg Scramble

When you want a tofu scramble that’s seasoned to perfection without worrying about additional ingredients, this is the solution for you! It comes out of the package ready to eat or mix up into other savory meals.

Simply Eggless

Combining versatility with convenience, Simple Eggless began as merely a liquid scramble, but has since branched out into eggless patties, plant-based egg, cheese, and sausage bites, and even a frozen plant-based breakfast sandwich.

WunderEggs

As the world’s first whole foods, plant-based hard-boiled egg, demand is high for these universally beloved healthy treats. They’re currently exclusive to Whole Foods Markets in the US, and through direct purchase. Eggless egg white patties are next on the agenda, with even more exciting innovations coming soon.  

Zero Egg

Available only through food service distributors for the time being, hopes are high for a broader launch in the near future. It comes as a pre-cooked patty that’s surprisingly low in calories or as a liquid that can be scrambled up on demand.

AcreMade Plant-Based Egg Substitute

Just add water to this powdered mix and you can bake, scramble, or sauté your way to an eggless masterpiece in minutes! It’s free from the top nine allergens so everyone can enjoy, worry-free.

Spero Pepita Egg

Taking an entirely different approach to the liquid egg formula, this pourable mix is made from hulled pumpkin seeds! That makes it paleo- and keto-friendly too, with a luscious richness that comes from only 7 simple ingredients. It can be scrambled, made into omelets, egg bites, baked goods, and more!

Recipes For Vegan Egg Replacements

Eggs are incredibly versatile, both for sweet and savory foods, eaten as-is or used as an ingredient in other dishes. That’s why vegan alternatives for eggs are just as diverse. The best choice for you depends on how you want to use it.

Egg Alternatives For Scrambling/Cooking

When you’re craving the taste of whole eggs and a rich source of protein for healthy meals, there are loads of recipes that are sure to satisfy.

• Everyone should have a solid tofu scramble recipe in their cooking repertoire. It’s a go-to for a savory meal any time of day that’s packed full of nutrition.
• For a fancy brunch, you can’t beat the elegance of a chickpea omelet, stuffed with all the seasonal vegetables your heart desires.
• Wake up, you’re not dreaming; it’s possible to make amazing tofu eggs benedict with zero fuss at all. This is one that’s guaranteed to impress all your friends, vegan, omnivore, or otherwise.
• Don’t forget to pack a healthy lunch! Tofu egg salad will never do you wrong, whether it’s stuffed between bread, into a pita, or simply a reusable container!
• Make-ahead meals don’t get much better than a vegan quiche. Baked into a flaky pastry crust, you can prep it anytime for parties or casual gatherings.
• Though made with the vernal equinox in mind, you can easily switch up your spring frittata with any ingredients you prefer.
• When Easter rolls around, forget about deviled eggs. Deviled potatoes are quite angelic, contrary to their fiendish name!

Egg Alternatives For Baking

Fruit purees can add natural, sugar-free sweetness to muffins and quick breads, while nutty flax or chia seeds are better choices for savory yeast breads. Each will yield different results, so don’t be afraid to experiment with different approaches until you find your favorite. Crack open all the details on egg replacements for baking here.

The post Vegan Eggs Guide (Best Brands + Recipes) appeared first on World of Vegan.

Born of the French remoulade and aioli, modern mayonnaise is like the Swiss army knife of cooking. It’s a sauce, spread, dip, filler, binder, dressing, and overall indispensable recipe helper. You may not realize that some of your favorite dishes are made possible thanks to this creamy condiment.

If you’re worried about finding a worthy replacement when you switch to plant-based foods, don’t sweat it! This is an easy swap that anyone can make. 

What Is Mayonnaise?

Conventional mayonnaise is made from egg yolks whipped vigorously with oil and either vinegar or lemon juice until thick and spreadable. It uses the same principle as making a vinaigrette but is much higher in fat, which accounts for its unctuous, rich texture.

Vegan mayo ingredients look a bit different, of course. No two formulas are exactly alike since there are endless approaches to making eggless mayo. Some use the traditional method but replace egg yolks with aquafaba, soymilk, or tofu. Others cut out the oil entirely, taking advantage of the naturally rich, healthy fats in cashews or coconuts.  

Best Vegan Mayo Brands

Mayo preferences are highly subjective. Some people like theirs on the sweeter side, while others prefer to keep it strictly savory. Luckily, there’s a dairy-free mayo out there for everyone!  

Follow Your Heart Vegenaise

The OG egg-free mayo, Vegenaise has been around since 1977, before most people understood what a vegetarian was, let alone vegan. The company has since diversifed into all sorts of dips, dressings, and dairy-free cheese, but the original line of plant-based mayonnaise alternatives still stands strong.

You can get it in Original, Organic, Avocado Oil, Soy-Free, Grapeseed Oil, Reduced Fat, and Chipotle versions.  

Sir Kensington’s Vegan Mayo

Avocado oil, sunflower oil, and aquafaba form the foundation of this shelf-stable spread, found in the dressing aisle. There’s Classic, Chipotle, Special Sauce, and Avocado Oil to suit any cravings, whether you like it mild or wild. 

Chosen Foods Vegan Avocado Oil Mayo

Dedicated to all things avocado, this high-end health food brand naturally taps this rich source of good fats to bolster its mayonnaise offerings. Only one variety is vegan, so read labels carefully to pick out the correct jar. 

Hellmann’s / Best Foods Vegan Dressing & Spread

You know the vegan diet hit the big time when a mainstream mayo titan like Hellmann’s and Best Foods released a vegan version of their bestselling spread. They’re both part of the same brand but use different names depending on location. In both cases, they’re sold in tubs and squeeze bottles for easy application on any dish. 

Primal Kitchen Vegan Mayo Dip and Spread

Known for their certified paleo, keto, and Whole 30-approved condiments, this clean label plant-based mayo is creamy,‌ ‌tangy,‌ ‌and‌ ‌delicious, without compromising your health. 

Good & Gather Vegan Dressing

Target’s house brand has really stepped up its vegan game in recent years. For anyone on a budget, this affordable, accessible staple is the one to buy. 

Plant Perfect Vegan Mayo

Put flavor first with this upstart brand that simply makes great food that happens to be vegan. That means when it comes to their mayo, you’ll get the same great taste and texture without the cholesterol of eggs. 

Walden Farms Amazin’ Mayo

Fat-free, sugar-free, and… Calorie-free? It sounds too good to be true, but this stuff is made of pure plant-based magic. It has a light whipped texture that can help you beat cravings while sticking to a diet. 

O’dang Egg-Free Mayo

You’ll be saying, “oh dang, that’s good” after your first taste! Never have another boring sandwich again when you can choose from Cucumber Dill, Lemon Garlic, Roasted Red Pepper, or of course the classic Original Mayo, too.  

Mother Raw

Mother Raw’s new plant-based mayo has the velvety smooth texture and taste you expect. With 0 grams of sugar and about half the calories and fat of leading brands, these mayos are both wholesome and delicious! Enjoy the classic flavor or mix it up with their Roasted Garlic or Chipotle Mayo options.

Did we miss your favorite vegan mayonnaise brand? There are new options springing to life every years, and you can show your favorite brands some love in the comments below!

Homemade Egg-Free Mayo Recipes

Break out your blender and get ready to spread it on thick; homemade vegan mayonnaise is just the flip of a switch away. 

• Easy Vegan Aquafaba Mayo uses the brine from a can of chickpeas to make an absurdly delicious sandwich spread that you can’t get enough of. One batch lasts for a week in the fridge (if you can stay out of it that long) so you’ll never have to go without. 
• One Minute Vegan Mayo Recipe is billed as “the world’s easiest vegan mayo,” and that may not be such a stretch! Combine oil, soymilk, vinegar, and salt in your blender and just like that, you’re already done. 
• Creamy Rich Cashew Mayo lives up to the name while still being way healthier than conventional mayonnaise. It’s oil-free and low-fat but 100% flavorful! 
• Tofu Vegan Mayonnaise Recipe transforms the humble block of bean curd into an essential spread. It’s incredibly light too, with only 8 calories per tablespoon. 

Or, skip the may altogether and go for mashed avocado instead! Avocado is like nature’s healthier, natural mayonnaise.

Ideas For Using Plant-Based Mayo

Once you start incorporating eggless mayo into your recipes, it’ll be hard to stop. Nothing beats that instant creamy texture and rich, savory, decadent sensation. If you want to try a spicy version, check out our Vegan Aioli recipe!

• You’ll be the talk of the potluck when you show up with this Classic Vegan Potato Salad. It’s a crowd-pleasing, foolproof dish that always satisfies. 
• Turn any snack time into a party by baking a big batch of Vegan Artichoke Dip. All you need are four ingredients and five minutes of prep work to wow all your friends. 
• Artichoke “Tuna” Salad Sandwiches will make you forget all about fish. The filling is excellent in wraps, lettuce cups, and on top of green salads, too. 

FAQs

The post Vegan Mayonnaise Guide (Best Vegan Mayo Brands + Recipes) appeared first on World of Vegan.

I’d been vegetarian since the age of eight, but I could hardly imagine life without my favorite yogurt, big bowls of cereal in milk, or burritos laced with cheesy goodness.

But when I picked up this book in college and found out how horrific the dairy industry was, I decided that however hard it may be, I had to become a vegan.

My Vegan Journey: The Struggles That Inspired This Guide

While it would probably be better for site views if I had a dramatic story about dropping cheese from my diet, the whole thing was pretty, well, uneventful.

Since cheese is basically just fat and salt, I started using avocado with salt as my go-to cheese replacement for most dishes (burritos, sandwiches, and beyond). Later on, I started using nutritional yeast (a.k.a. “nooch”), and before I knew it dozens of delicious vegan cheeses came to market. 

The Vegan Learning Curve

But of course, just as I realized that cheese was this big paper tiger—totally daunting at first but not actually a very big deal, I started to realize that this whole “vegan learning curve” thing was a lot steeper than I’d anticipated.

Not only did I have to let go of my beloved cheese (easy!), but I had to figure out how (and where) to grocery shop. I had to find a whole new collection of satisfying recipes. Discover how to navigate social situations (like what-the-heck to do when you go to a restaurant and there’s nothing vegan on the menu). And so much more. It was a bit overwhelming, to say the least. 

Going vegan can certainly feel challenging at times, but having good guidance, camaraderie, and support makes all the difference in the world. And that’s exactly why I started this website. World of Vegan now exists to be the vegan resource that I wish had existed when I first went vegan. 

Things I Struggled With the Most

• Meat, Dairy, Eggs, Seafood, and Cheese
• How to Grocery Shop As A Vegan
• Responding To The Most Common Vegan Questions
• Outfitting My Kitchen
• Stocking My Pantry
• These Hidden Animal Ingredients to Watch Out For
• How to Meal Plan on a Budget
• Learning Vegan Nutrition Basics
• These Common Mistakes
• Navigating Restaurants and Fast Food
• Surviving the Holidays, Family, Traveling
• Finding Conscious Clothing & Accessories
• Making My Home Cruelty-Free
• Trying to Live More Sustainably

…and more. Whether you’re thinking about becoming a vegan for health reasons or because you care about animal welfare, I want to help you make your transition to a vegan diet as easy as possible. If you stick with it, I promise that before you know it, those initial struggles will completely fade away. 

Let Us Help Guide You

That’s why we put together this handy guide to going vegan. Spoiler alert: It’s pretty long, but that’s because we wanted to this to be an exhaustive guide to going vegan. With the help of this guide you can spend more of your time experimenting in the kitchen or championing your favorite vegan-friendly causes than scouring the web for trustworthy information.

What You’ll Learn In This “How to Go Vegan” Guide 

We’ll be covering a lot in this guide, which you can see outlined below. If you’re here for just a few key pieces of information, feel free to jump to the sections that are most applicable to you. Go forth!

• Is Going Vegan For You?
• Take It Slow 
• Don’t Worry About Being Perfect
• Read Books & Watch Documentaries
• Learn Vegan Nutrition Basics
• Build A Collection of Vegan Recipes & Cookbooks
• Start Meal Planning
• Veganize Your Kitchen
• Experiment In The Kitchen
• Find Community
• Have Fun & Enjoy The Journey!
• Busting Common Vegan Myths
• How to Go Vegan in College
• Advice & Tips From World of Vegan Readers

Is This Plant-Based Thing Really For Me?

We’re going to take a little leap of faith here and say yes :). A vegan diet is an excellent choice for people of virtually all ages and backgrounds. From high-performance athletes to families with little ones. Whether you want to go vegan for health reasons, spiritual reasons, for ethical reasons, or some combination thereof, choosing vegan is a great fit for all.

But to show you that the reasons for going vegan are as a diverse as the people following a vegan lifestyle, we thought we should share some anecdotes that World of Vegan reader shared on Instagram about why they chose to go vegan. 

Why Our Readers Chose to Go Vegan

“I wanted to live a healthier and happier life, so I decided that a vegan life would give me both.”

“Two cancer diagnoses in two years.” 

“It started as a bet between my husband and I.” 

“Already vegetarian, wanted to up my game.” 

“Because all life on this plant is beautiful and deserves to live out their life to the fullest extent.” 

“Watched the films Earthlings and Dominion and could no longer knowingly contribute to animal suffering!” 

“I was 15 years old, petting a cow. I came to tears to think this beautiful life was worth any less than ours.” 

“Because it’s a win-win! Good for the animals and good fo me! :)” 

“It was a challenge at work and I was curious.” 

“I just feel better overall.” 

How to Become a Vegan: A Step-By-Step Guide

Here is our step-by-step guide that will make the process of becoming vegan so much easier. Follow these 10 steps and you’ll be feeling strong in your resolve to stick with your delicious, healthful plant-based diet. You’ll feel ready to handle any left hook that life throws at you and any awkward social situation that comes your way. Now…let’s do this!

1. Take It Slow 

Every year, there are people who try to go vegan overnight, or on January 1st, or some other arbitrary date.

While it may seem like an easy goal in theory, in practice making such a sweeping change to your diet and lifestyle with little preparation means you’ll probably either do one of two things:

1. Get frustrated when you slip up and abandon your vegan diet altogether
2. Put yourself through a lot of unnecessary stress

And that’s not good for your health or your happiness, and it’s certainly not helpful to animals or our planet.

Go At Your Own Pace

Instead, resist peer pressure and adopt a vegan diet at a pace that’s comfortable for you. It’s much better in the long-term if you “officially” become a vegan on a random Tuesday in March with ample preparation than on a whim on January 1. 

If you’re having trouble thinking of ways to gradually adopt a vegan diet, then you can try some of the following. 

Approaches For Slowly Becoming Vegan

• Try a new vegan recipe every week until you’ve built up a great repertoire of go-to recipes you love
• Eliminate one animal-based food per week until you adopt a fully-vegan diet
• Eat a vegan diet one day per week, then gradually transition to two days a week, three days a week, etc.
• Eat at least one vegan meal per day until you’re comfortable enough to eat vegan at each meal

Focus On “Crowding Out” Old Foods

If you think of going vegan as “giving up” foods and meals you love, you’re setting a negative mindset. You’re telling yourself “I can’t” all day, every day. That’s no way to live, honey! 

Instead, try the opposite approach. A positive, upbeat, glass-half-full approach! This approach is based on “crowding out” your old go-to foods and ingredients with exciting new foods and recipes. Explore new fruits and veggies you’ve never cooked with before. Add new vegan-friendly restaurants to your must-visit list (this may include cuisines that are entirely new to you, such as international cuisines that are notoriously vegan-friendly). Get a couple vegan cookbooks and start playing with recipes (more on this in Step #5). Before you know it, you’ll have so many plant-powered foods you love that going vegan won’t feel like a sacrifice at all. 

2. Don’t Worry About Being The ‘Perfect’ Vegan

We’ve said this many times before, but we’ll say it again: There’s no such thing as a perfect vegan.

Cravings, peer pressure, and even honest forgetfulness have all caused even the most mindful vegans to consume some non-vegan from time to time. I’ve been there more times than I can count. 

Embrace Imperfection

You can remove animal-based products from your diet as much as you like, but there’s still a very good chance that you’re either ingesting, using, or otherwise negatively impacting other living creatures even if you’re a vegan.

For example, you may think that your dark chocolate bar is totally vegan. But the FDA allows a small amount of insect fragments and rodent hairs in chocolates.

Yep, insect fragments and rodent hairs. 

There’s No Such Thing As A Perfect Vegan

Now, this doesn’t mean for sure that your chocolate bar will contain these items, but they are legally permitted to contain small amounts of these and be sold commercially.

So now you’re probably saying to yourself that you’ll avoid store-bought premade foods and eat whole foods only.

Well, there’s a good chance that the vegetables you buy from a farmer’s market or major grocery store were grown using animal manure. Even if you stumble upon a farm that uses only dirt with nothing else added to it, part of that dirt will be comprised of deceased and decayed animals.

Please Don’t Be A ‘Vegan Police’ (Or Let The ‘Vegan Police’ Get You Down)

And even if you’re a vegan who, say, forages for all of your food and doesn’t wear animal fibers, you may still be negatively impacting other animals inadvertently. For example, you may accidentally step on insects while walking down the street, or frighten animals in their natural habitats while hiking or foraging in the woods.

We don’t bring these things up to make you feel bad about not being a perfect vegan, or make you feel like you must be a hyper-vigilant vegan or else you’re not “worthy” of calling yourself one.

Instead, we simply want you to know that achieving perfection as a vegan is not possible in today’s world. Veganism is a diet and lifestyle that centers around compassion—and call us crazy, but it’s a little nonsensical to show so much compassion to others when we’re so unforgiving on ourselves.

3. Read Books and Watch Documentaries 

We’ve all hear it before: Knowledge is power. And when it comes to going vegan, it’s absolutely true.

If you don’t take the time to study up, you’re going to be thrown for quite a loop when your friends and family start grilling you with the inevitable annoying questions every vegan is asked all the dang time (like, where do we get our protein?). 

So learn, watch, read, and educate yourself as much as you can. Books and documentaries are a great place to start. You can check out our round-up of must-read books and documentaries you should watch. 

Top Must-See Documentaries

• What The Health (Netflix)
• The GameChangers (Amazon Prime)
• Cowspiracy (Netflix)
• Seaspiracy (Netflix)
• Forks Over Knives (Netflix)
• Dominion or Earthlings
• 7 Days Doc (10 Minute Mini-Doc on YouTube)

Top Must-Read Books

• How Not to Die (health and longevity)
• How to Be Vegan (how-to guide)
• Eating Animals (ethics and animals)
• Eat to Live (weight loss)
• The Proof is in the Plants (science)
• The Plant Based Athlete (athletics)
• Plant-Based Diet Books

The more books you read, the more documentaries you watch, and the more educational podcasts you listen to, the more knowledgeable and empowered you’ll be. 

4. Learn Vegan Nutrition Basics

When you adopt a vegan diet, or really any diet that differs from the Standard American Diet (aptly dubbed the “SAD” diet), it feels like a lot of people suddenly become intensely concerned about your health.

While many of those people do have your best interests at heart, most people out there are not certified health professionals, or even lay people who have a sound background in nutrition and dietetics.

So instead of worrying about what your relatives or random people on the street have to say about your health, take control of your situation and start researching health information on your own.

Plant-Based Nutrition 101

• Vegan Nutrition 101
• Vitamin B12
• Omega 3s and DHA
• Vitamin D
• Protein
• Vegan Registered Dietitians
• Vegan Vitamins

Common Nutrition Questions

• Do vegans really need to take vitamins?
• Is a vegan diet healthy for children?
• Is eating fish healthy?
• Can eating vegan cause hair loss?
• Where can I find credible nutrition information?

Recommended Vegan Nutrition Books

There are several books out there all about vegan nutrition, which will equip you with all you need to know about plant-based diets, and then some.

A few nutrition books we recommend: 

• Vegan for Life
• Vegan for Her
• Even Vegans Die

Read these books, and it’s likely you’ll know loads more about nutrition than even your primary care doctor. Speaking of which, please don’t go to your medical doctor expecting them to have a vast knowledge of nutrition. Many if not most doctors have very little nutrition training. 

Health Books That Could Save Your Life

• Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease (Coronary Artery Disease)
• The China Study (Cancer)
• Fiber Fueled (Gut Health)
• Mastering Diabetes (Diabetes)
• The Alzheimer’s Solution (Alzheimers)

Registered Dietitians Are There For You!

If you’re looking for nutrition advice from a medical professional, you can always meet with a registered dietitian who is experienced in plant-based eating. Your doctor should be able to refer you to a registered dietitian, and we have an entire guide to vegan registered dietitians that can help you understand what to look for in a dietitian and find one who is a perfect fit for you.  

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, and the information presented here is not to be construed as medical advice or used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition or disease. 

5. Build A Collection Of Great Recipes

Being a vegan means that you can (and should) eat more than just salads and coincidentally-vegan foods (we’re looking at you, Oreos). 

But it certainly doesn’t mean that every meal you make has to be an Instagram-worthy dish packed to the brim with every nutrient under the sun.

To find a realistic balance and avoid running into a food rut, you’re going to need to start building a collection of amazing plant-based recipes. The first step? Invest in a few great vegan cookbooks.

Order A Few Vegan Cookbooks

You can read all about our top 10 vegan cookbook favorites or check out these 3 to get started:

• The Friendly Vegan Cookbook
• Plant-Based on a Budget
• The Joy of Vegan Baking 

If you can’t afford to buy cookbooks, not to worry! You can visit your local library and check some out there, or find infinite recipes online from vegan bloggers (and of course here at World of Vegan). 

• Breakfast Recipes (and our Vegan Breakfast Guide)
• Lunch Recipes
• Dinner Recipes
• Dessert Recipes
• Vegan Snack Ideas
• Sides
• Vegan Instant Pot Recipes
• Vegan Soup Recipes
• Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes

Just be honest with yourself. If you’re a busy person, then there’s no shame in finding super-easy vegan recipes that you can throw together in 30 minutes or less (that’s what we specialize in here at World of Vegan). If you’re quite the foodie and love to spend time getting creative with unique ingredients in the kitchen, there are blogs and vegan cookbooks that are made for you. 

6. Start Meal Planning

Wouldn’t it be awesome if each week you could sit down for an hour or two and plan an amazing week of vegan recipes for yourself, and then spend a few hours in the kitchen artfully putting together your next Instagram-worthy food masterpiece?

Of course! But…

We don’t know about you, but we just don’t have that kind of time—and we’re guessing that you probably don’t, either.

The Power of Meal Planning

To save yourself the hassle of trying to figure out how to plan (and shop for) nutritious and appetizing meals each week, we recommend turning to pre-made vegan meal plans. It takes out a lot of the guesswork out of what you’ll eat each week, saving you both time and money. 

Minimally, we recommend having meal plans at-the-ready for those days or weeks when you are:

• Busy
• Stressed
• Sick
• Craving comfort foods (but still want to be healthy)

Make Your Own Meal Plans Or Find A Pre-Made Plan Online

If you love the process of exploring and selecting recipes, organizing agendas, and compiling ingredient grocery shopping lists, then by all means, go to town designing your own meal plans! You can easily find free printable meal plan calendars online to use as a template. 

But… if you don’t have time for that, let someone else do the work and get a pre-made meal plan online.

Check Out Our Vegan Meal Plans!

We have one-week meal plans that show you how to cook delicious, healthful plant-based meals on a super-tight budget. We’re talkin’ as little as $25 for the entire week of groceries! These meal plans come with printer-friendly grocery shopping lists, beautiful photos of every recipe, and lots of tips for saving time and money on your meals. 

7. Veganize Your Kitchen

You walk into your kitchen and open the fridge jonesing for a snack. You see your favorite yogurt, string cheese, and salami slices. With this kind of temptation in front of you every day, of course it’s going to be a challenge to go vegan! 

If you’re able, pick a weekend to give your kitchen (especially your pantry and fridge) a good, clean makeover. Get the crappy foods you don’t want to be eating outta’ there! In their place, stock your pantry with these vegan pantry essentials and quick grab-and-go vegan snacks. Stock your fridge with fresh ingredients and a few of these specialty foods that can be used to whip up delicious meals. Stock your freezer with some frozen vegan entrees that you can turn to in a pinch. Plus, load up on lots of frozen fruit for smoothies, and maybe even a tub of vegan ice cream for when you need a treat. 

What About Shared Households?

If you’re living in a household with a shared kitchen and you just can’t convince your housemates to join you on this vegan adventure, I’m sending you extra willpower. Stay strong. Yes, it will be harder. But know that in time, once you get the hang of this vegan thing and “crowd out” your old favorite foods with the most delicious new favorite vegan foods, those meat and dairy foods that were “so tempting” at first won’t even look appealing anymore. 

Other than that, that’s there’s very little difference between a vegan kitchen and an omnivore’s kitchen.

But if you’re planning on following a plant-based diet, there are several kitchen tools and vegan pantry essentials that we recommend in order to make your meal preparation much easier. While you won’t need all of these tools and foods as soon you go vegan, we do recommend investing in them as soon as you’re able so that you can cut down on time spent on food prep.

Kitchen Tools that Every Vegan Needs:

• A high-quality chef’s knife for both fast chopping and safety (so many preventable accidents come from using dull knives!) 
• A large cutting board for both efficiency (think of how many veggies you can cut without having to clear the board) and safety (a higher-quality board won’t slide around while using it)
• A high-powered blender for making smoothies, salad dressings, sauces, soups, and much more
• A pressure cooker (like an Instant Pot) that you can use to quickly make rice, soups, stews, and other slow-cooking meals
• A food processor for making vegan cheeses, sauces, hummus, banana ‘nice cream’, and more
• Silicone baking sheets for roasting vegetables, baking cookies, or whatever else you pop into the oven 

Vegan Pantry Essentials:

• Beans, which are arguably the most versatile vegan-friendly food out there. You can use them to make hummus and other protein-rich spreads, toss them in your soups for extra nutrition, load them in quick-fix burritos, or even use them to make brownies.
• An egg alternative to bind your baking recipes together. Options include ground flaxseeds, bananas, applesauce, chia seeds, or a commercial egg replacer such as Ener-G.
• Plant-based milk to use in cereal, smoothie bowls, oatmeal, and recipes
• Nutritional yeast, also fondly known as “nooch,” to add a nutritionally-rich cheesy flavor to your vegan cheeses and cheese-based dishes.
• Nuts and seeds so that you can use to make nut milk, nut butter, nut-based cheese, and even just to snack on. Cashews and almonds are arguably the most versatile nuts to keep on hand, but you can often substitute other nuts with little change in flavor.
• Tofu, for breakfast scrambles, stir-fries, and as a great meat-replacement or protein boost in recipes
• Vegetable stock or vegetable bouillon cubes to use as a base for vegan soups and stews.

8. Experiment In The Kitchen!

Now that you’ve got some essential tools in hand, it’s time to start experimenting! 

This is the fun part. The vegan cookbooks you ordered on Amazon have arrived on your doorstep. They’re waiting for you to start flipping through the pages, making notes, and splattering ingredients all over them.

Find Your Favorite Foolproof Recipes

Be sure to test out several breakfast recipes, lunch recipes, and dinner recipes (ideally before becoming a full-time vegan) for a few reasons. Firstly, it’s important to find recipes that you would actually want to eat versus what you want your ideal vegan self to eat (we’re all guilty of this!). And secondly, while most vegan meals are quite straightforward to cook, there can be a learning curve when you’re trying to veganize your favorite foods. 

Some Recipes Will Inevitably Fail—And That’s Okay

Know this: not everything you make will turn out great. Even today, 10 years after becoming vegan, I still have lots and lots of recipe flops. I print off recipes that look oh-so picture perfect on Pinterest and they end up looking like total sludge when I try to bring them to life in my kitchen. That’s okay—and trust me, it happens to everyone, not just us vegans. Power on, and appreciate that this will make it extra exciting when you do find those recipe gems that work perfectly every time.

Those perfect recipes are out there, and now it’s your challenge to find them. I bid you good luck on your adventure! 

9. Find Community

Three things will probably happen when you decide to go vegan:

1. People, both family and strangers, will become extremely concerned about your health and wellness
2. People, both family and strangers (and online trolls), will taunt you and tease you in an effort to tear down your resolve (why is this a fun a game to some people? I don’t get it.)
3. You’ll start to feel guilty that you aren’t a “perfect vegan” like the ones you see on Instagram and Pinterest 

That’s why you need a community.

Whether you need to talk to people who “get it” because you’re surrounded by people who don’t, you’re having really bad hamburger cravings, you feel like you’re in a dietary rut, or you just want to feel like you’re not alone, you need a community to support you.

How To Connect With Other Vegans

This was one a challenge to find, but today there are countless vegan communities out there, both in person and online. Here are some of our favorite spots to connect with other vegans for new and seasoned vegans alike:

• Vegan Meetups (search for “vegan” on Meetup.com)
• VegFests (Vegan Festivals and Events events are sprouting up all around the globe, and it’s likely there’s one not too far from you. Just google “VegFest” and your state or your nearest big city)
• Vegan Restaurants (Head to a vegan restaurant and enjoy the feeling of being surrounded by people (and staff) who “get it.” Start conversations—you never know who you’ll meet!
• Facebook Groups (there are tons of vegan Facebook groups on almost every topic, like our Vegan Parents Network group) 
• Vegan Drinks Events (See if there’s one in your area, and if not, start your own!)
• Get Involved With Your Local Animal Sanctuary (you’ll make new friends while also getting to spend time with sweet animals)
• Volunteer With A Vegan Nonprofit (this is a great way to meet people while also doing a great deed!)

10.  Have Fun And Enjoy Your Plant-Based Journey!

One thing is certain: when you first become vegan, there will be a lot of excitement ahead of you.

Like…when you find your first vegan cupcake on a grocery store shelf! Or when your old favorite pizza shop starts offering vegan cheese (it will happen—give it time!). Or when your uncle tells you he wants to be around for as long as he can so he’s finally giving up meat and jumping on the plant-based bandwagon (I’m still dreaming about this one, hehe). 

Discovering New Vegan Foods Is Exciting!

Things that were just plain ordinary before (Oh boy, another holiday cheese platter. Womp-womp.) are suddenly explosively exciting (OMG, you made an all-vegan cheese platter?! I LOVE YOU!). Enjoy these moments.

Like with any new relationship, the thrill and excitement comes hand-in-hand with the challenge and the unknown. As vegan living gets easier and easier for you, those new vegan finds that once made you do a literal happy dance in the middle of the grocery store, will instead become normal, everyday life.

Enjoy The Novelty

That’s not a bad thing, it’s just my reminder to enjoy the exciting process of learning and discovering and evolving as a human being. It really should be joyful! And if you’re just not feelin’ the joy of it, don’t worry. Before you know it, you’ll be saying, “Oh boy, another vegan cheese platter. Womp-womp.” 

Let’s Crush Those Vegan Myths!

Depending on who you ask, becoming a vegan is either an extreme decision that will make you terribly unhealthy or the one-and-only way to live a lengthy and healthy life. 

Well, neither of those things is entirely true (although going vegan can do wonders for your health!). But it’s time we answer some common questions and debunk popular myths about going vegan.

Myth #1: Going vegan isn’t for everybody

We aren’t licensed healthcare professionals, but we do think it’s entirely possible to be a vegan on almost any income level or at any age. With the proliferation of vegan-related blogs and websites in the past decade, it’s quite easy to find advice for would-be vegans in virtually every stage of life (from pregnancy to the bitter end, as is covered in the book Even Vegan Die). 

Going vegan, just like any other lifestyle and dietary choice out there, requires just a little research and planning to ensure your long-term happiness and health.

Further Reading

• What is a Vegan?
• Going vegan when your family isn’t on board.
• 80-year-old meat eater goes vegan—and loves it!

Myth #2: I can’t afford to be a vegan

Yes, you can. It’s entirely possible to eat a well-balanced vegan diet on a budget, especially since you don’t have to shell out money on expensive cuts of meat or blocks of cheese. Plus, many of the most affordable foods on the planet are vegan! Think: rice, beans, oats, carrots, and bananas. These are all extraordinarily healthful foods that can help lower your cholesterol, clear out your arteries, and save you money in the bank. 

Transition Foods

Sure, if you fill your grocery cart with all the latest-and-greatest vegan specialty products (like packaged vegan meats and fancy vegan cheeses and ice creams and yogurts and frozen pizzas) your bill will add up fast. And if you’ve been doing that, it’s ok, we’ve all been there. We call these “transition foods.” 

Transition foods make it super easy to switch from a Standard American Diet to vegan without having to change much at all. But in time, try to move off the packaged foods and toward much more budget-friendly (and healthful!) whole foods. 

How to Eat Vegan On a Tight Budget

Need help? There are entire websites and multiple books dedicated to showing you how eating vegan on-the-cheap is done. 

Don’t quite believe us? Then check out our easy-to-use Plant-Based on a Budget Meal Plans that show how to eat vegan for a grocery budget as low as $25 a week (that’s just $1.20 per meal). Can’t afford to be vegan? Honey, you’ll be able to save up for your dream vacation if you follow these meal plans!

Myth #3: I’ll have to give up my favorite foods when I go vegan

Um, have you been on Pinterest lately?

There are thousands (yes, thousands) of veganized recipes for every sumptuous non-vegan food you can think of, like: 

• Healthy Vegan Mac and Cheese
• Smoky Barbecue Sweet Potato Chickpea Burgers
• Vegan Champagne Truffles

Myth #4: Vegans only eat raw food

There is such a thing as being a “raw vegan,” but you don’t have to eat exclusively raw foods in order to follow a vegan diet. Just a quick search on Pinterest will reveal thousands of recipes for cooked soups, baked goods, casseroles, roasts, and more that all should be cooked before being eaten.

While it’s entirely your choice if and how much raw food you eat as a vegan, exclusively raw vegan isn’t necessary in order to follow a vegan diet.

Myth #5: Vegans don’t get enough protein

While of course we all need protein to thrive, there’s this crazy myth that the sole (or “best”) source of protein is meat. Not quite true. All plants contain protein, and just like elephants, cows, and gorillas, we can get all the protein we need exclusively from plants. 

If you’re not eating enough calories and only eating highly-processed nutrient-depleted junk food, then sure, you might end up protein-deficient. But protein deficiency (also known as “kwashiorkor”) is very rare in developed countries. It’s mostly found in areas of famine.

• Plant-Based Protein Sources
• Vegan Protein Bars
• Plant-Based Protein Powders

Be Sensible & Eat A Well Balanced Diet

If you’re like most of the sensible vegans out there, you know that to be healthy on any diet, you need to eat a well-balanced diet and be cognizant of your nutritional intake. You can see some of the most protein-rich foods that you can incorporate into your diet in the graphic below. 

If you’re concerned about your protein intake (or focused on bodybuilding), you can always add vegan protein powders to your smoothies or consult a registered dietitian! 

Myth #6: Vegans are-nutritionally deficient

There are some nutrients, like Vitamin B-12, that aren’t found in plants or in much smaller quantities than you could find in animal-derived products.

But as we mentioned before, it’s entirely possible to follow a healthy and nutrient-rich if you simply do some research into your dietary requirements. Besides, you can always take dietary supplements to cover your bases.

Myth #7: If I go vegan, I’ll never be able to eat at a restaurant

It sounds like it’s time for you to find some new restaurants! Not only are there thousands of vegan restaurants opening around the world, but we’ve also seen more and more chain restaurants offer vegan options in recent years. There’s a good chance that you’ll find at least one vegan item on the menu.

Discover The Wonders of “Happy Cow”

Simply search “vegan” on Yelp or Happy Cow wherever you are, and it will pull up vegan-friendly eateries near you. This will help you find great vegan restaurants to explore near your home and when you’re traveling. Happy Cow is like a vegan version of Yelp that’s also available as a cell phone app. 

If you don’t see any items that are explicitly listed as vegan on the menu, most restaurants will gladly substitute meat for a plant-based protein source and non-vegan sauces and dressings for vegan-friendly ones. 

Myth #8: Vegans only shop at expensive health food stores

You’ve just touched on one of our favorite topics: Vegan shopping at major grocery stores!

Sure, stores like Whole Foods tend to cater to more health-conscious consumers and typically have a wider array of vegan-friendly foods. But it’s entirely possible to shop as a vegan at major supermarkets like Costco, Target, Walmart, and Trader Joe’s, especially if you’re a budget-conscious consumer like us. Just check out our vegan grocery shopping guide!

How To Grocery Shop Without Breaking The Bank

I’ve gone on several food expeditions to show that it’s entirely possible to shop as a vegan at major supermarkets and wholesale supermarkets. In fact, we’re constantly astounded at how many yummy (and affordable!) foods we find on our shopping hauls!

We recommend checking out some of our food haul videos below to see just how easy it is to shop as a vegan at major supermarkets. Don’t see a supermarket you frequent? Then shoot us an email and we may feature it in an upcoming video!

Further Reading

• Costco Vegan Store Tour!
• Costco Vegan Haul & Taste Test
• Vegan Target Haul: Top 10 Vegan Finds at Target
• Trader Joe’s Haul: Top 20 Favorite Vegan Foods
• Ep. 2: Trader Joe’s Haul — Vegan Style
• Ep. 3: Trader Joe’s Haul — Vegan Style

Myth #9: One person can’t make a difference by going vegan

Every person, every action, every choice makes a difference. The question is not whether or not we make a difference—it’s whether the difference we make on this world is positive or negative.

We vote with our dollars. With each product we buy and each meal we eat, we vote for the kind of world we want to live in. We vote for or against factory farms. For or against slaughterhouses. Do you want to see organic foods? More sustainable practices? Corporate transparency? Then go vote with your dollars. 

We Vote With Our Dollars

The dollars we spend at the grocery stores and at restaurants are all little votes that we cast every single day. Cast your votes wisely, my friends, as they truly do make an impact! 

Myth #10: Plant-based eating is the same as being a vegan

The terms “plant-based” and “vegan” are often used interchangeably. While there is a lot of overlap between vegan and plant-based diets, the two aren’t exactly identical.

Both “vegan” and “plant-based” diets eschew all animal-based food products, including meat, dairy, and eggs. But each involves different reasons for moving away from the Standard American Diet.

You Go Plant-Based for Health Reasons & Vegan For Ethical Reasons

The label “plant-based” is typically used to describe someone who is eschewing animal products for health reasons. The label “vegan,” on the other hand, is used by those who adopt an animal-free diet for ethical, environmental, or social justice reasons.

“Plant-based” simply describes a diet comprised wholly of plant foods. “Vegan” is a compassion-based do-no-harm philosophy. Plant-based eaters are generally more concerned with their wellness, while vegans are concerned with conscious consumerism—the idea that we should be conscious about what we’re buying and choose products that are aligned with our ethics and values.

Am I Plant-Based or Vegan?

Those who identify as vegan often extend that philosophy to other aspects of their life as well, including clothing, beauty products, and household products. Vegans often avoid wearing animals (in the form of leather, wool, and other materials that cause great suffering and/or environmental destruction to produce). Many also ensure that their cosmetics and household products are ethically sourced and have not been tested on animals.

Someone who identifies as “vegan” might eat sugary cupcakes all day without an ounce of guilt because they are cruelty-free cupcakes that were made sustainably without causing harm to others.

“Whole Food Plant-Based” vs. Vegan

Someone who identifies as “plant-based” could be a passionate hunter clothed in bear-hide about to shoot a fawn’s mom without remorse. They likely became plant-based to improve their personal health and longevity (perhaps after watching a documentary like “What The Health” on Netflix). Their diet is likely closer to the “Whole Food Plant-Based” (WFPB) diet based on unprocessed fruits, veggies, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. The Whole Food Plant Based diet is considered by many to be the healthiest diet in the world.

Yes, You Can Be Both!

Of course, many individuals identify as vegan and plant-based because they’re driven by compassion as well as health and wellness. That’s where these labels can become confusing and interchangeable, as both apply!

There are also many other version or spins on vegan living, or ways to step into eating more plants. Meatless Mondays is the lightest approach. Some choose to try being a Weekday Vegan to give it a solid try without having to completely say goodbye to their current favorites. And others align with terms like Freegan (those who only eat vegan unless it’s free) or Industrial Vegan. Choose your own adventure, and if you stick with it, you’ll be fully vegan and loving it in no time!

How to Go Vegan In College

Are you in college and thinking of going vegan? Well, you’re in good company. College students all around the globe are eagerly embracing the power of a plant-based lifestyle as a way to take a stand for our planet, for animals, and for human health. I too, went vegan in college. 

I Became Vegan in College 10 Years Ago

When I was 8 years old, I became a passionate vegetarian. As a vegetarian, I thought my values were fully aligned with my food choices. But in college, I got a serious reality check about what’s really going on in the dairy and egg industries.

I’ve always wanted to live a life in which I make the world a better place. To “be the change I wish to see in the world.” So as I became aware of the injustices I was contributing to by eating animal products, I knew I needed to make a change. To adjust my food choices to fit my code of ethics. And so, as a Sophomore college student at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, I became a vegan.

Allow Your Tastebuds Time to Adjust

It wasn’t instantaneous—it took me a few weeks to transition from vegetarian to vegan. I had to acclimate my tastebuds to soymilk instead of cows milk and use up all the dairy yogurt and cheese in my fridge. But once it was all out of my home, that was it. I’d never again intentionally purchase animal products. 

I’m not going to lie, it was hard at first. I was a college student on a tight budget, without a car or easy access to the most vegan-friendly grocery stores, and I had no idea what I was doing, what foods to buy, or how to cook. I turned to the internet and the local vegan community for guidance, and before you know it, being vegan became second nature. It was actually fun!

It’s Hard At First, But It Will Get Easier!

Going vegan is a lot like learning to ride a bike. You know it has many advantages over walking, but it’s hard and scary at first. Learning to ride is really hard—you may need training wheels at first, and you’ll likely fall down a few times before you’re feeling really confident and ready to speed down the steepest hills. But before you know it, bike riding becomes second nature, and you can barely remember life any other way.

Becoming vegan is similar—there is a steep learning curve but once you learn the ropes, it’s easy. And it’s well worth the initial effort, because it’s better for your own health and longevity, it’s better for our planet, and of course it’s better for animals.

Going Vegan In College Today (Podcast Episode)

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. You went vegan 10 years ago! Your advice is sooooo not relevant today. I get it. And that’s why my co-host Toni and I brought a current college student, Felicia Falconer, onto the Plant-Powered People Podcast to talk about what it’s like going vegan in college today. You can listen to this episode below (or on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen to postcasts)!

“I Wish I’d Known…”

Learning from others will help you avoid many common vegan mistakes. So we turned to Instagram to crowdsource some tips to share with you! World of Vegan followers on Instagram kindly shared their advice and anecdotes about what they wish they had known before going vegan. There were hundreds of responses, but we picked out a few of our favorites! 

I wish I’d known….

“How freaking easy it is. And how to be prepared (outside the home).”  

“How to recognize vegan products.”  

“That you need to try different recipes and it takes effort and work (chopping all those veggies).”  

“How to eat out without feeling deprived or left out.” 

“How many options there are! I thought it would be so restrictive, but it’s not!”  

“Asking for substitutions and replacements is totally okay!” 

“Progress is the goal, not perfection.”  

“You won’t miss cheese as much as you think! Should have gone vegan sooner!”

“The impact eating animals has on our planet. The world needs to be better educated.” 

“How much better I would feel emotionally and physically after adopting a vegan lifestyle.”  

“You don’t miss eggs or dairy once you’ve detoxed from it!!” 

Tips for Going Vegan

Our readers and community on Instagram are freakin’ awesome. We asked for tips and once again, hundreds responded with to share their tips to help you along your journey. So we’re closing this guide with a few of their inspiring and encouraging words of wisdom.

“Be kind to yourself and others. There is no perfect vegan, we can just try our best each day.” – katy__jones

“Don’t rush it. Take your time and do it step by step until you’re ready to go full time vegan.” – yvonnelerch

“Find out how to veganise your fave dishes so that transition won’t be as hard/” – danatoumazis

“#1 Do your research and #2 go in with a positive and open mind” – raulllyyy

“Get through the first 2-3 weeks . . . and you will feel amazing!” -tomandjuliekoko

“Start with making one change at a time (mayo, cheese, butter etc.)” – evma21

“LEARN! Watch all the documentaries, videos, and real all the books. Be armed with info.” -alyssagurr

“Do it for yourself, not for the trend. And do not judge others for not following in your footsteps.” – auntietum88

“Don’t think you need the expensive substitutes. They can make the change to vegan easier, though.” – inked_globetrotter

“Find the restaurants near you with vegan options for those days when you need a last minute option.” – nikkiepace_ 

And that’s a wrap! I hope you found this guide helpful. Do you have questions or tips about how to go vegan? Tag #WorldOfVegan on Instagram or Twitter so we can read all about it!

This article was written in collaboration with Taylor Barbieri (aspiring vegan) and Michelle Cehn (founder of World of Vegan). We hope you’ll share this resource with anyone you know who could benefit from the guide!

Reader quotes in the “advice for our readers” section were lightly edited for clarity and typos. The information presented in this article is not to be construed as medical advice.

The post How To Become A Vegan: The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Living appeared first on World of Vegan.

Hearty, buttery, and completely comforting, it’s an essential dish that everyone should have in their cooking repertoire. Thousands of variations exist to fulfill all cravings, but this perfected recipe makes the very best tofu scramble around.

Tofu scrambles gained notoriety alongside the rise of veganism, first appearing in recipes around the 1960s. Advances in food science have brought us incredibly realistic liquid plant-based eggs since then, but there will always be a place at the table for this old school approach. It has a lot to offer besides good taste, although that alone is a very compelling quality.

Why You’ll Love This Tofu Scramble Recipe

High in protein: Extra-firm tofu has roughly 44 grams of protein per pound, which is a huge chunk of your daily recommended allowance. Talk about starting the day on the right foot!

Gluten-free, dairy-free, and always vegetarian and vegan: Allergy sufferers and compassionate consumers, unite! Everyone can enjoy this meal without any worries.

Fast and easy: You could have a hot, healthy meal on the table in about 30 minutes, no experience required. This is a great staple for new cooks of all ages to build confidence and skills with.

Affordable: Most of the ingredients here can be bought in bulk and come straight from your pantry, allowing you to feed a family for pennies on the dollar.

Ingredient Notes

Tofu

Extra-firm tofu is ideal for this preparation, since it crumbles easily into tender, toothsome curds, much like well-cooked scrambled eggs. There’s still a good deal of water you’ll want to remove so that your scramble doesn’t become too runny. You can simply squeeze it out by hand or pop it into a tofu press for a few minutes.

Soy sauce

All you need is a splash to add subtle umami flavor and a satisfying salty finish. If you’re watching your sodium, try “lite” soy sauce or coconut aminos instead.

Black Salt

Also known as kala namak, this is the secret ingredient that makes anything instantly taste undeniably eggy. This is because it’s volcanic salt that has a naturally sulfuric aroma. Despite the name, it’s actually pink in color, so don’t be fooled while shopping. Black salt can be found in most health food stores, specialty groceries that carry Indian foods, and online.

Turmeric

Just a little pinch will do! This superfood makes an appearance more for color than flavor here, imparting a sunny yellow hue that closely mimics the appearance of beaten egg yolks.

Vegan Butter

For a final touch of richness and savory flavor, it’s hard to beat butter. Luckily, there are many options for vegan butter now that taste exactly the same! Check labels to find one that best suits your needs, whether that’s something soy-free, nut-free, or palm-oil free. There’s a better butter for everyone out there.

How to Make a Great Vegan Tofu Scramble

The following step-by-step process shows how easy it is to make an incredible tofu scramble without much effort. Full times and temperatures can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Start by sautéing the onion to soften and lightly brown it. It should be aromatic and ready to go after about 2 minutes.

2. Use your hands to crumble the tofu directly into the skillet. There are no rules about how big or small the pieces should be, so have fun with it! You can always go back in later with a potato masher to make the chunks smaller or more consistent.

3. Sprinkle with tofu scramble seasoning, mix to combine, and continue to cook. Let the tofu sit, undisturbed, if you want more crispy edges. Toss occasionally to make sure it browns evenly.

4. Finish with black salt and serve hot!

What To Serve With Tofu Scramble

It may sound strange to eat tofu for breakfast at first, but this version is truly no different from a classic scrambled egg. With that in mind, consider the same sort of pairings you’d find at your favorite diner, such as:

• Hash browns
• Meatless bacon
• Toast
• Biscuits and gravy
• Sliced tomatoes
• Diced or sliced avocado
• Grits
• Oatmeal
• Plant-Based Pancakes
• Vegan Waffles

Ideas For Tofu Scramble Mix-Ins

Personalize each fresh scramble with your own finishing touches! You’ll never get bored when ever meal can be a unique flavor adventure. A few of our favorite mix-ins include:

• Spinach, arugula, or kale
• Sautéed mushrooms
• Peppers and onions
• Asparagus, green beans, broccoli, or zucchini
• Fresh basil, parsley, scallions, or chives
• Pesto
• Salsa
• Sriracha

Frequently Asked Questions

More Savory Vegan Breakfast Recipes To Try

• Vegan Chicken & Waffles
• Bagels with Carrot Lox
• Vegan Quiche Recipe
• Island Teriyaki Tofu Scramble
• Hash Brown Waffles

Print

The Perfect Vegan Tofu Scramble

After making hundreds of batches of vegan tofu scramble, here is our favorite staple recipe. Flavorful, foolproof, and way better than eggs.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword brunch, dairy-free, eggs, nut-free, plant-based, tofu, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 2 -3 Servings

Calories 250kcal

Author Michelle Cehn & Dan Miller

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• ½ small yellow onion diced
• 1 block extra-firm tofu drained and water squeezed out by hand or with a tofu-press
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• ¼ teaspoon black salt
• Salt to taste if desired

Instructions

• Heat a large nonstick pan with canola oil. Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes.
• Use your hands to crumble in the tofu into the pan. You can make large or small chunks depending on your preference.
• Add soy sauce and stir. Add turmeric, garlic powder, black pepper, vegan butter, and minced garlic and stir once more. Allow tofu to sit one the pan without touching it for a few minutes so it has a chance to brown up slightly. The longer you leave it undisturbed, the more brown and crispy it will get. Toss with a spatula a few times, allowing a few minutes between each toss to gently brown different sides of the tofu.
• Sprinkle on black salt, mix, and taste. If needed, adjust seasonings to taste.
• Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Have leftovers? Tofu scramble is best fresh, so if you’re serving it to friend and family, definitely make a fresh batch. But if you’d love a quick next-day breakfast or batch cooking with your scramble, you can absolutely save your leftovers and reheat them later. Allow to cool fully first and then and store in an air-tight container for up to 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1469mg | Potassium: 408mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 3mg

This vegan tofu scramble recipe was created by Michelle Cehn and Dan Miller. Article written with support from Hannah Kaminsky and edited by Rachel Lessenden. Photos by J.J. Steele for World of Vegan, all rights reserved.

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Crowned with a glossy, crisp crust of caramelized sugar that shatters upon impact, this creamy vegan crème brûlée is a show-stopping dessert that’s deceptively easy to make. It’s the perfect ending to dinner party, date night, elegant brunch, or any day where a special treat is in order.

This recipe comes from The Two Spoons Cookbook by Hannah Sunderani. Inspired by the food, culture, and burgeoning plant-based scene in France, Hannah created her own plant-based versions of the classic culinary staples. Now you can have your flaky, butter croissants, and make them vegan, too! You’ll find a wealth of ideas for adding French flare into your everyday meals, snacks, and desserts. Given the extensive French tradition of preparing gourmet sweets, this crème brûlée is a fool-proof place to start.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• No-bake: In the heat of summer, you can keep your oven off with this simple stove-top preparation.
• 10 minutes active prep: Most of the time spent on this recipe is just waiting for the custard to cool. You can quickly whip up the base and throw it in the fridge during a busy day.
• Allergen-friendly: Gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, grain-free, eggless, and oil-free, this is a treat that everyone can enjoy!
• Playing with fire: Let’s be honest, it’s just flat out fun to break out the kitchen torch and work with straight firepower like that. Be sure to have an extinguisher handy at all times!

Key Ingredients

• Full-fat coconut milk: Naturally full of healthy omega-3s, these good fats are what create a decadent base without adding any extra oils.
• Arrowroot powder: This thickener comes from a tropical tuber (aka, root) and is great for thickening a wide variety of foods, like sauces, gravies, soups, and pie fillings. Used in greater quantities, it can set up solidly, as seen in this custard recipe. You can use it as a substitute for cornstarch or potato starch, too.
• Nutritional yeast: Best known for making rich vegan cheese and buttery sauces, nutritional yeast can also add incredibly nuance into desserts when used sparingly. In this case, it gives a little hint of the classic eggy flavor that custard is known for.
• Agar agar: Typically used as a plant-based alternative to gelatin, agar comes from seaweed and is found in various forms. It’s most easy to use when finely powdered since it can then be swapped 1:1 for gelatin. It isn’t quite as elastic as the animal proteins, however, so the results will be somewhat different in texture when making treats like gummies or “Jell-o”.

What Is Crème Brûlée?

Think of crème brûlée as a grown up pudding cup. Most of the dessert is a lightly sweetened custard, but it’s the caramelized sugar on top that creates its most defining characteristic. It sets to a candy-like texture that cracks when you plunge in a spoon, creating a crave-worthy contrast between crunchy and creamy textures. The slightly brunt edge of the sugar adds complexity to the taste, while contributing just enough added sweetness to balance everything out.

Crème Brûlée is closely related to flan and crème caramel, which typically have the layer of caramelized sugar baked into the bottom, so it turns into more of a liquid caramel sauce when turned out of the dish. It’s also known as burned cream, burnt cream, Trinity cream, or Cambridge burnt cream, depending on who you ask around the world.

The earliest known recipe for crème brûlée was recorded in the 1691 French cookbook Le Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois by chef François Massialot. It was slightly different from our modern understanding of the dish, since it used a ready-made disk of caramelized sugar placed on top of the custard, rather than caramelizing the sugar directly within the dish. Shortly thereafter, both Spain and England created similar version which they claim were the “first” of their kind, but France is clearly the winner of this race.

Make-Ahead Tips

The real beauty of crème brûlée is how easy it is to make in advance. In fact, it’s better when it can sit in the fridge for longer to make sure it’s fully set.

1. Set the custard cups on a small tray or sheet pan to move them more easily, without splashing.
2. The crème brûlée must be completely cooled before refrigerating to prevent condensation. Allow the cups to cool on the counter until they reach room temperature.
3. Cover the custard cups with plastic wrap rather than reusable wrap, because it won’t stick to the custard if it touches.
4. Chill for at least 1 ½-2 hours, and up to 24 hours. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
5. Sprinkle with sugar and brûlée the tops just before serving. If the custard sits with the caramelized sugar on top, it will eventually soften and become more of a caramel sauce instead.

How To Make Crème Brûlée Without A Torch

If you don’t have a miniature flame thrower handy, don’t sweat it. You can still make amazing crème brûlée by using your broiler.

1. Arrange your oven racks as close to the top as possible and set the broiler to high.
2. After sprinkling the tops with sugar, place the ramekins under the broiler and cook until the sugar bubbles and caramelizes. It may take anywhere from 2-6 minutes, depending on your oven.
3. Always keep a close eye on the process. If your broiler doesn’t cook evenly, you may need to rotate the cups halfway through. Use a potholder to handle the ramekins safely.

Print

Classic Vegan Crème Brûlée

If you've long dreamt of making your very own classic vegan crème brûlée, this is the recipe for you! Totally free from any dairy or eggs, this awesome recipe only takes less than 30 minutes!

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Keyword dairy-free creme brulee, egg-free creme brulee, vegan creme brulee recipe, vegan french dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 94kcal

Author Hannah Sunderani

Ingredients

• 1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk 400 ml
• ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk
• zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
• ¾ teaspoon agar agar
• Pinch fine sea salt
• Pinch ground turmeric for coloring (optional)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons organic cane sugar

Instructions

• In a high-speed blender, combine the coconut milk, almond milk, lemon zest, maple syrup, arrowroot powder, vanilla, nutritional yeast, agar agar, salt, and turmeric (if using). Blend on medium-low speed until smooth and combined.
• Pour the custard into a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring often with a spatula, until the mixture has thickened slightly to a custard consistency (just before it reaches boiling) andthere is a bit of resistance, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Divide the custard evenly among three 6-ounce ramekins or four 4-ounce ramekins, filling them three-quarters full.Let cool completely, uncovered, at room temperature for 1½ to 2 hours. Cover eachramekin with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours or overnight.
• When ready to serve, lightly sprinkle the tops with a thin layer of sugar. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar until it turns deep golden brown. (It is helpful to hold the torch far enough back so that the tip of the flame melts the sugar.) Serve immediately.

Notes

• The crème brûlée must be completely cooled before refrigerating, as condensation can affect its texture. You can cool the crème brûlée uncovered in the refrigerator for a few hours, then cover in plastic wrap once you are certain it is completely cool.
• For covering the crème brûlée, I prefer plastic wrap rather than reusable wrap because it does not stick to the custard if it touches. If using reusable wrap, ensure there is enough space so the wrap does not touch the custard.
• A kitchen torch achieves the best crackly caramel topping, but if you do not have one, you can use the broiler. Place an oven rack in the highest position and set the oven to broil. Lightly sprinkle the top of each crème brûlée with a thin layer of sugar. Place on a baking sheet, transfer to the oven with the door ajar, and broil until the sugar is golden brown and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes. (This may melt the crème brûlée’s interior slightly. You can refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes to firm up before serving.)
• The crème brûlée can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Keep refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to serve. Sprinkle with sugar and brûlée the top just before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.05g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 29mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 0.1mg

About the Author

Hannah Sunderani is the creator of the popular blog Two Spoons and the Two Spoons App. She started her blog to share plant-based recipes that everyone to enjoy, vegan or not. Living in France changed her view on sustainability, flavor pairings, culinary techniques, shopping local, and pretty much everything else related to food.

She’s applied those inspirations to her work online and now in print, through her newest release of The Two Spoons Cookbook. These classic vegan French recipes keep everyone in mind, from newbie cooks to vegan skeptics and vegan foodies.

More Vegan French and Other International Recipes To Try

• Ratatouille
• Vegan Pistou Soup
• Vegan French Onion Soup
• Vegan Baklava

This vegan crème brûlée recipe was excerpted from The Two Spoons Cookbook by Hannah Sunderani© 2022 Hannah Sunderani. Photography by Hannah Sunderani. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. Special thanks to Sarah Hudson and Nicol Nawrath for recipe testing. All rights reserved. Please note that this article may contain affiliate links which supports our work at World of Vegan.

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The final frontier of vegan food innovation? The Egg. 

What could possibly be wrong with eggs, you ask? A lot. They are high in cholesterol and saturated fat, for one, and can contribute to heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. And they cause more animal suffering per calorie than almost any other food. 

“Eggs have zero dietary fiber, and about 70 percent of their calories are from fat—a big portion of which is saturated. They are also loaded with cholesterol—about 213 milligrams for an average-sized egg. For reference, people with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or high cholesterol should consume fewer than 200 milligrams of cholesterol each day. And, humans have no biological need to consume any cholesterol at all; we make more than enough in our own bodies.” – Susan Levin, MS, RD

Yet thanks to decades of deceptive yet persuasive marketing (remember all those “Incredible Edible Eggs” ads from back in the ’80s and ’90s?), some 75 billion eggs are produced every year in the United States. Despite all the health concerns and ethical issues, chicken eggs are present in most American households, and they find their way onto most standard American breakfast plates. 

It’s the one common household ingredients that we don’t quite have a perfect vegan substitute for yet. So what’s a conscious consumer to do when they wake up jonesing for their beloved scrambled eggs? Well, friends. I’m excited to share that Just (formerly Hampton Creek Foods) is finally releasing their much-anticipated Just Egg. 

This company was founded four years ago with one primary mission: to recreate eggs from the ground up using plants. And finally they’ve done it—they’ve made a plant-based egg utilizing the magic of the mung bean. And yours truly is here (joined by Toni Okamoto from Plant Based on a Budget) to show you what they’re all about. 

Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had many phenomenal egg replacer options for use in baking for centuries. You can swap in things like mashed banana, applesauce, ground flaxseeds mixed with water, peanut butter, and beyond, and you’d never notice the missing eggs. 

But omelets and egg scramble were tough to replicate. For years vegans got their fix from chickpea flour omelets and tofu scramble (my personal fave!), but anything like the real thing was out of the picture—until now.  

So…what do you think? Will you be trying the new Just Egg? Whether you decide to or not, you will likely come across it in major retailers very soon, as well as on restaurant menus and perhaps even in cafeterias and beyond. Our food system is broken, and innovations like this make it possible to start to heal. 

The post Vegan Eggs Are Finally Here—Watch the New “Just Egg” Scramble appeared first on World of Vegan.

Thankfully there has been a lot of awareness and concern about this, so there’s a move now towards cage-free eggs, which is a positive step. However, cage-free is definitely not cruelty-free. We still have hens that are very much overcrowded, packed so tightly that they’re de-beaked, meaning part of their beak is cut off so they don’t peck each other. And then they’re sent to slaughter, usually at a fairly young age. So that’s what’s wrong with egg production, whether it be in a battery cage operation or in a cage-free operation. 

The bottom line is that these animals are seen as commodities—as food production units—not as living, feeling creatures. Whenever that’s the case, their suffering is likely, their exploitation is inherent, and when they’re no longer profitable, they’re killed. That’s what happens on all egg farms. 

The Life of an Egg-Laying Chicken on Today’s Factory Farms

This Draw My Life video illustrates an accurate depiction of what laying hens go through on farms. The idyllic scenes you see on egg carton packages and sing about in Old McDonald’s Farm are lightyears away from the reality for these unlucly birds today.

The more you learn about chickens, the more you’ll start to see them as individuals with personalities, likes, dislikes, quirky attitudes, curiosity, and many other behaviors not too different from the dogs and cats we live with at home. Here are 5 fascinating chicken facts that may surprise you. 

If you’d like to adopt a cruelty-free diet, ditch the chicken eggs and choose plant-based options instead. We have a handy guide showing how to bake without eggs and vegan eggs like the Just egg scramble are also coming to life and quickly becoming more accessible. Look toward these more compassionate options which also happen to be far healthier too. 

Many thanks to Farm Sanctuary co-founder Gene Baur for joining us for this VegAnswers video. 

The post What’s Wrong with Eggs? appeared first on World of Vegan.

Birds—especially chickens—are incredible, amazing individuals. They are smart, they have personalities, they have friends and bonds, and they care fiercely for their children.

Chicken Facts

From an advocacy perspective, chickens make up the vast majority of animals who suffer in the United States today. The numbers are incredibly stark. With our dietary choices, the average American is responsible for the suffering and death of about two dozen land animals. 23 of these 24 are birds.

Image via One Step For Animals. 

Not just the numbers should give us pause. Chickens raised on modern factory farms suffer horribly their entire lives. Professor of Veterinary Science John Webster describes modern chicken production as “in both magnitude and severity, the single most severe, systematic example of man’s inhumanity to another sentient being.”

These two facts—the numbers and the suffering—expose what is perhaps the greatest problem with farm animal advocacy today. Many—if not most—of the messaging and campaigns intended to help farm animals are created by vegans. Consciously or not, our advocacy is shaped to excite vegan donors and get likes and shares by vegans on social media.

Given our fondness for mammals, these campaigns often focus on cows and pigs. Animal advocates’ messages generally present veganism as the perfect ideal, but many arguments serve to promote mammals or denigrate red meat.

The Key Insight

The most important insight for advocates is what won Herb Simon his Nobel Prize in Economics: People don’t make optimal or “perfect” decisions. Rather, almost everyone makes choices based on what is a bit “better” or is “good enough.”

This has direct implications for anyone concerned about animals. For example, most advocates see their vegan diet as best for water usage (or global warming or heart disease). But almost everyone who actually cares about water usage (or climate change or heart disease) simply sees chicken being much better than beef.

This is true on just about every measure – chicken is always and significantly better than beef or pork in terms of environmental impact or health consequences.

Given that it takes more than 200 chickens to provide the same number of meals as one cow, we must avoid anything that risks encouraging anyone to replace red meat with chickens. Conversely, if we can convince someone to stop eating birds, they would go from being responsible for the factory farming and slaughtering of about two dozen land animals per year to fewer than one.

Isn’t that amazing?

Beyond just numbers, though, we want our advocacy to be psychologically sound. We know a “big ask” is far less likely to lead to any change at all, compared to a smaller, incremental ask. Relative to full vegetarianism or veganism, just giving up (or even cutting back on) eating chickens can seem far more achievable, and thus more likely pursued by more people.

The Most Likely Route to Sustained Change

Furthermore, we know individuals who evolve over time to full vegetarianism or veganism are more likely to maintain that change (a major consideration given the overwhelming 80% rate of veg recidivism). Obviously, any journey has to start with the first step. We should shape our message such that the one step is seen as “doable” for our audience and also as meaningful as possible for animals.

This is the reasoning behind One Step for Animals. In short, One Step focuses on preventing the suffering of as many animals as possible. Period.

Those of us behind One Step have over 150 years of combined animal advocacy. At this time, we truly believe numbers-focused, psychologically sound harm reduction is the best way to both reduce suffering, as well as to work toward the world we want: a world where animals are no longer viewed as food.

Written by Matt Ball, Anne Green, and Joe Espinosa from One Step for Animals. 

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